


Free As Air

by SelenaProductions



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Romance, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-07 23:51:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 59,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15230784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenaProductions/pseuds/SelenaProductions
Summary: I watched Aang examine the necklace, and a dead silence came over him. He had thought he was the last air-bender. Yet, in his eyes, I could tell he realized that no matter how much the Fire Nation tried to destroy the world, the world would always find a way to keep the balance.





	1. Price Of Freedom

“I’m like a bird.

I’ll only fly away.”

\- Nelly Furtado

* * *

 

I ran through the tall grass as fast as my twelve-year-old legs could carry me. I knew I should’ve gone slower, what the consequences would be if I were caught. However, I was too antsy to care. I giggled when the wind undid my bow, allowing my hair to flow behind me like a wild, black fire. I prayed to the spirits that I was hidden well enough within the grass and continued speeding toward the cliff.

Oh, and I should introduce myself. My name is Tashi, and I’m an air-bender. Yeah, I know. Didn’t the Fire Nation wipe out all of the Air Nomads? Well, they missed one. My great grandmother managed to escape into the Earth Kingdom where she married a young earth-bender. Several generations later, I was born, and now I’m the last air-bender in the whole world. Sometimes I wonder if others survived like she did, but I suppose it’s wishful thinking.

I stopped at the edge of the cliff and admired the sea of red, orange, and yellow leaves below. The urge to jump down and play in the trees filled me, but I suppressed it. My grandparents would have a fit if I wandered too far, and I groaned while watching a flock of birds soar overhead.

How I longed to be as free as them, to not have to hide my bending anymore. Despite my wishes, I had no choice. My grandparents had warned me time and time again what would happen if the Fire Nation ever found me, and I shuddered at the thought. Still, at the same time, I couldn’t take another minute being sheltered in our village. I couldn’t stand another second being confined in my cage of a room where I practiced my bending in secret.

“Someday.” I smiled. “Someday, I’ll be just like those birds. Free to go wherever the wind takes me.”

I fell back against the grass and enjoyed the feeling of the dirt against my skin. Closing my eyes, I dreamed of a different reality where my father hadn’t left to fight against the Fire Nation, where my mother hadn’t died in childbirth, and where I no longer had to live in fear and seclusion. A world in a state of peace and happiness. 

A piercing scream broke me out of my thoughts, and I shot upright, my head swerving to look in the direction of the village. My eyes widened at the sight of smoke rising from the trees like an ominous cloud of death, and without a second thought, I sprung to my feet and rushed back home. The pounding in my ears grew harsher and harsher as I neared my village, and reaching the outskirts, I stopped in my tracks. Everything was engulfed in flames, and there was no way for me to get through without being caught by the soldiers or in the fire.

“Grandma? Grandpa?” My voice was barely above a whisper, and I choked on my own breath.

Against my better judgement, I rushed into the chaos and searched for my grandparents. They were the only family I had left. I couldn’t lose them too. The ground shifted underneath my feet, tumbling me forward, and my left arm scraped against some debris. Groaning, I clenched my arm and yelped when a barrage of boulders flew over me. I looked up and saw Wei, the village fisherman, fighting some of the soldiers off.

Wei noticed me and gasped. “Tashi, get out of here!”

I cringed as a stream of fire shot past. “Where are my grandparents?”

Before Wei could answer, he was overpowered by one of the fire-bending soldiers and knocked into the house behind him. I screamed and tried to run over to him, but the same fire-bender yanked me back by my hair and lifted me up to their eye level. I couldn’t see the fire-bender’s face, for it was covered by a mask that sent prickles along my whole body.

“Are you an earth-bender?” His breath smelled foul, his voice almost a growl. “And don’t lie to me, girl, or else.”

He turned his right palm toward my face and emitted a small flare of fire.

I struggled against his grip. “No! Don’t hurt me or my family! Please!”

I couldn’t die, not here, and in my desperation, I swiped my hands at his face. The gesture created a gust of wind that shoved the fire-bender into a stack of barrels. I landed on my hands and knees, and my nerves were so on edge that I couldn’t move. Looking up, I saw that the fire-bender’s mask had slipped off. I noted his fair skin, amber eyes, and the large sideburns that were slowly turning from brown to gray. His mouth was agape, and he stared at me like I was some kind of freak. 

_Does he know?_ I tried to stand, but my limbs remained frozen. _Move. You have to run._

The fire-bender regained his composure, and I saw his face twist and tighten into a fit of rage. Jumping to his feet, he charged at me with a fist full of fire, and at last my body moved. I sped away, not caring who saw. I heard the same fire-bender command for someone to capture me, but I was too fast for them. I made it out of the village and rushed back through the field of tall grass. If I could just make it over the cliff, the soldiers would lose my trail.

Feeling a rush of heat, I turned and ducked out of the way of a fireball. It was the fire-bender from before. Although, he couldn’t match me in speed, he cut me off with several wild-shots. The grass set ablaze and spread before I could get around it. I screamed. The cliff was only a few feet away, but there was no way I could reach it now. The fire-bender cornered me, his fists emitting fire, and a rat-viper like grin spread across his face.

“Well, if it isn’t my lucky day.” He stepped closer. “Come with me, Avatar. Otherwise, you’ll die where you stand.”

I gasped. “I’m not the Avatar.”

He frowned. “You must be. The last Avatar was an air-bender who disappeared a hundred years ago, and while others may be fooled, I’m not.” 

I glanced back at the fire that grew behind me and coughed from the smoke building up around us. “Do I look like a hundred-year-old woman to you?” 

His eye-twitched. “Either way, I’m not taking any chances!”

The fire-bender lunged at me, and I decided I’d rather die than be captured by the Fire Nation. Turning on my heel, I ran straight into the fire. I ignored the flames catching onto my clothes and hair, and I screeched when I felt a blast of fire strike my back. The force was so strong that it sent me flying over the edge of the cliff. I lost sense of my surroundings as I free fell toward the ground, and everything went black.

….

When I opened my eyes, I felt surreal. My most recent memories had to have been a nightmare, right? My village hadn’t been attacked by the Fire Nation. I was safe in my room, my grandmother overseeing the chores around our home, and my grandfather attending to the needs of the villagers. However, my hopes were dashed when I sat up. It felt like my whole body was on fire, and I screamed in agony before collapsing back onto what seemed to be a simple cot.

“Hey, she’s awake!” called an unfamiliar voice.

It sounded like a child, and the voice echoed from outside of the hut I realized I had been placed in. The shoddy curtain swayed aside, and I saw a boy my age, or perhaps a year older, step inside. He was followed by another boy around our age, and a much younger boy or girl.

“Thank you, Smellerbee.” The first boy, who I as assumed was the leader, nodded to youngest child.

The leader walked over and knelt beside me, allowing me a better look. He wore neutral colors that didn’t indicate his nation, which made me nervous, but his tanned skin and messy dark brown hair didn’t scream Fire Nation either. His brown eyes met my gray ones, and he smiled.

“How are you feeling?” He pulled the piece of straw from his mouth.

I blinked, feeling my head buzz. “I don’t know. What happened?”

He glanced away, his brow furrowing. “The Fire Nation attacked your village. We found you lying in the riverbank, and you were badly burned. Smellerbee did her best to patch you up.”

“I….” My eyes rolled into the back of my head.

Everything came flooding back into my mind. I saw myself playing in the grassy field, rushing back home to the sound of screams, the sight of my village burning to the ground, and that fire-bender. His face was etched into my brain, and my grandparents…. I never found them. I never….

I shot up with a scream only to wail from the pain of my injuries and collapse back down again. Tears poured from my eyes, and I called out for my grandparents, my father, my mother, anyone.

“Careful. You’ll reopen your wounds.” The leader placed a hand on my forehead. “Longshot, grab me some water. She’s running a fever.”

The other boy nodded before leaving the hut.

“I’m Jet, and my friends and I are forming a group called the Freedom Fighters,” the leader said. “You’re welcome to join us once you get back on your feet.”

“I’m Tashi.” I choked out between sobs.

He smiled. “Don’t worry. We’re gonna take care of you, Tashi.”

“Hey, Jet?” The _girl_ , who I now knew as Smellerbee, held up a wooden necklace. “I found this in her things. What nation symbol is this?”

My eyes widened. “Give that back.”

Jet took the necklace and traced his thumb over the pendant, which had three swirl designs carved into it. “I don’t recognize it.”

“It’s the symbol of the Air Nomads.” I coughed. “I’m an air-bender.”

Once again, I slipped into unconsciousness.

….

_Four Years Later…._

I stared into my makeshift mirror and tied my hair into two ponytails. I envied the teen girls who had the luxury to fret about their appearance, but vanity wasn’t an option for an orphaned peasant like me, especially one with the scars I had. I thanked the spirits that most of them could be hidden underneath my clothes. The only part that showed were two stripes that ran along the length of my neck. No. I only wished the scars disappeared, so I wouldn’t have to be reminded of my past every minute.

I forced a smile at myself. “Just another day.”

Standing, I grabbed my whips before stepping outside of my little hut. I admired the view of our vast hideout within the trees. In a matter of a few years, Jet had managed to turn a bunch of orphans into an army of fighters, and I couldn’t help but admire his bravery and leadership. Not many would take that kind of initiative, and this lifestyle was better than sitting around feeling sorry myself.

With my air-bending, I jumped from platform to platform while using my whips to catch myself. I wasn’t anywhere near close to being a master, but I did figure out a few tricks over time. Although, I only practiced my bending within our hideout. I couldn’t risk the Fire Nation tracking me down like that one fire-bender did. I never did learn who he was, but I knew if I ever saw him again, I’d make sure it’d be our last encounter.

I reached the hut where we held our meetings and went inside. Jet was sitting at the head of the group. Longshot, Pipsqueak, and the Duke were on his right while Smellerbee and Sneers were on his left. I walked around the group and took my spot right next to Jet. He smiled and wrapped his arm around me, and I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

He turned his attention to the map that rested in center of the group. “Now that we’re all here, let’s begin with the first order of business. Sneers, Duke, what’s your report?”

“After scouting earlier this morning, Duke and I found another camp. They got lots of supplies we could use,” Sneers said.

The Duke shook his head. “But there’s way too many soldiers. We’d never be able to infiltrate them head on.”

“What’s the plan?” I said.

Jet narrowed his eyes at the map. “We’ll head out to the camp. Once we have an opening, we’ll run them out, and take all the resources we can carry.”

The others cheered in agreement.

He stood. “Now, let’s head out.”

Everyone stood and made their way out of the hut, but I lagged behind. I stared at the map, at all the places the Fire Nation had already taken, and felt a weight drop in the pit of stomach. Jet must’ve noticed I hadn’t followed him, for he turned around with a furrowed brow.

“Something wrong, Tashi?” He walked over to me.

“This just isn’t gonna end, is it?” I sighed. “We take down all these small camps, but if no one can defeat the Fire Lord himself, this war will never….”

“Hey, every little bit helps. One day we’ll drive the Fire Nation out Gaipan for good.” Jet placed a hand on my shoulder. “And once we’re done with that village, we’ll move onto the next, and the next, and the next, until they’re all free. Whatever it takes.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “Although, do you wonder if the rumors we’ve heard from the camps are true? Has the Avatar really returned?”

The very idea filled my heart with hope. The Avatar would put a stop to this never ending war, and he was supposed to be an Air Nomad, which meant there could be a chance for me to master air-bending.

Jet shrugged. “Who knows? He’s been gone for a hundred years. As far as I’m concerned, we need to worry about solving things ourselves.”

“You’re right.” I smiled. “Let’s make the Fire Nation shake in their boots.”

He kissed me, his arms wrapping around my waist, and I sighed against his lips. No matter what happened, he always provided me with what I needed. Comfort and security. This place was my home, and the Freedom Fighters were my family. The idea losing them like I had my original home and family haunted me, but I knew that so long as Jet was in my life, everything would be fine.


	2. The Avatar

“We have the right to live in peace.

Freedom Fighters!”

-P.O.D.

* * *

 

We waited in the trees right above the Fire Nation camp. Sneers and the Duke were right. There had to be at least twenty soldiers, and we’d have to take them down fast to have a chance. I slid down to a lower branch to get a better look. One thing the Fire Nation had going against them was their obsession with uniformity. Their fire-benders wore flame-shaped helmets while their non-benders wore generic ones, and so far, I only saw one fire-bender. He had an eyepatch, and judging by the way he was hovering around the largest tent, he must’ve been the captain as well.

A bird whistle sounded above me, and I looked up at Jet. He gestured toward the captain, and I nodded with a smile. Once we took out the fire-bender, we’d up our odds. Jet was about to give Longshot the signal to create a distraction when three kids strayed into the camp. I counted two boys and a girl. The eldest boy and girl had tanned skin and dark brown hair, and judging by their clothes, they must’ve been Water Tribe. However, when I examined the youngest boy, I held back a gasp.

_Those markings._ I recalled seeing those arrow tattoos in a scroll that belonged to my great-grandmother.  _It couldn’t be._

I heard another bird call, and I blinked, not realizing that the soldiers had cornered the kids and left us with an opening. Longshot struck the captain in the back with an arrow, knocking him flat on the ground. Jet took his cue and swung down with his hooked swords. He landed on the back of two soldiers and took the large group head on. 

Latching my whip onto the branch I was standing on, I jumped down and charged at the soldier closest to me. He raised his spear, but I lashed my whip, allowing it to wrap around the spear. With a forceful tug, I ripped the spear away from the soldier, and slung my second whip around his neck. Using all of my strength, I swung him into a nearby tree. I made sure he was unconscious before searching his armor. He had a spare knife, and I stashed it in my side-pouch before rejoining the fight.

I saw the Water Tribe girl water-bend a soldier out of the way while the youngest boy air-bended…. He air-bended! I blinked a few times to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me, but no, he was an air-bender, which meant he had to be the Avatar.

A sword swiped in front of my face, and I jumped back, cursing myself for not staying focused in the middle of a fight. I continued to dodge the soldier’s attacks until a saw an opening and kicked him across the side of his head. He staggered a bit, giving me enough time to whip him right between the eyes, and he fell back. I kicked his sword away and checked to see if he was unconscious. His eyes were closed. Perfect. However, when I went to check his armor, his grabbed my leg. I saw a knife in his other hand, and whipped it away. 

I tripped backward, and I felt my ankle twist as I hit the ground. Climbing to his feet, the soldier retrieved his sword and stalked over to me. I tried to stand, but my ankle surged with pain. Great, it was swollen. Hearing someone yell, I saw the Water Tribe boy charge at the soldier from behind, but before the boy could help, Jet swooped in and kicked the soldier away. The soldier landed next to his comrades, and it didn’t look like he was getting up any time soon.

“Tashi, are you okay?” Jet adjusted his swords into one hand and held out the other for me to take.

“I’m fine. I–” I cringed as I put weight on my swollen ankle. “He caught me off guard.”

“Why that–” He glared at the fallen soldier.

I saw the rage burning in Jet’s eyes, and knowing what he was about to do, I clung onto him. “No. We’ve defeated them. It’s over. Just help me walk, please.”

His body loosened at my touch, and he sighed. Slinging my right arm over his shoulder, he helped me over to the trunk of one of the trees. I sat down on the large root that sprung from the ground, and over Jet’s shoulder, I noticed the Water Tribe boy was watching him with narrowed eyes. I gave the boy a dirty look in return, and a faint blush crept onto his face before he retreated back to his friends.

“Did you see that kid, Jet?” I nodded toward the bald boy with the arrow tattoos. “He has to be the Avatar.”

He grinned. “Yeah, and that girl is a water-bender. That’ll definitely be useful.”

I raised an eyebrow while I secured my whips at each side of my belt. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see.” He winked at me before striding over to the Water Tribe girl. 

I saw the girl’s eyes grow wide like a lost bunny-puppy, and she blushed when Jet gave her his trademark smile. Was I jealous? No. That girl looked at least two to three years younger than us, and I couldn’t blame her for being mesmerized. Jet had grown to be quite handsome over the years, and he had a certain charisma that won people over with ease. So long as he didn’t take things too far, I was willing to let him lead the girl on for his plans.

While the other Freedom Fighters cleared out the camp, I tended to my ankle. Rolling up my pants leg, I ran my hands over the sensitive spot and flinched. I thanked the spirits that it was only a small sprang, and I sucked in a breath when I placed weight on it again. Walking was going to be a pain in the butt for a while, and I decided it was time to use my bending out in the open for the first time in four years.

Facing my palms toward the ground, I took a deep breath and exhaled the air through my hands. I propelled in the air for a few feet and continued to air-hop toward Jet and the newcomers.

“And this is Tashi, my second in command.” Jet gestured to me right as I landed beside him and stumbled a little from my ankle. “Careful. You don’t wanna make it worse.”

I held up my hands. “I’m fine. Just give me a day off my feet, and I’ll be good as new.”

He pointed toward the Water Tribe girl. “This is Katara–” The Water Tribe boy. “Sokka–” Then the presumed Avatar. “And Aang.”

I smiled and waved. “Nice to meet all of you.”

However, I was met with silence, and the three of them stared at me slack-jawed. Sokka wiped his eyes before pointing at Aang and then back at me.

“You… you’re an air-bender!” Sokka said with a crack in his voice.

“Guilty as charged.” I faced Aang and gave him a slight bow. “And you must be the Avatar. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I gotta say, it’ll be nice not being the last air-bender anymore.”

The young boy stared at me, and stared, and stared. A spectrum of emotion flickered through his eyes, and the most I could make out were disbelief, confusion, and maybe… hope?

Aang shook his head and stepped away from me. “That can’t… how? I saw my temple, and everyone’s said that the Air Nomads were extinct.”

I pulled my necklace out from underneath my black tunic and showed it to him. “This belonged to my great grandmother, Ming. She was able to escape Fire Lord Sozin’s attack.”

I watched Aang examine the necklace, and a dead silence came over him. He had thought he was the last air-bender. Yet, in his eyes, I could tell he realized that no matter how much the Fire Nation tried to destroy the world, the world would always find a way to keep the balance.

Tears forming in his eyes, Aang hugged me, and I stiffened at the sudden action. “Uh, are you okay?”

He pulled away and wiped his face. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy. You don’t know how much this means to me. I was convinced that our people were gone forever.”

“You and me both.” I chuckled.

His eyes lit up with excitement. “Are there others?”

“None that I’m aware of. I was the first air-bender to be born after my great grandmother.” I glanced away. “My family and my old village are gone.”

Aang furrowed his brow. “Oh.”

Smellerbee waved to Jet. “We’ve gathered all of the supplies.”

“Good job. Let’s head back before we draw too much attention.” Jet looked at Sokka, Aang, and Katara. “You wanna see our hideout?”

“Yes, we wanna see it!” Katara smiled at him, and by the way she was swooning, I was sure she was going to float in the air.

Sokka eyed Jet and folded his arms. “I don’t know. We have a schedule to keep.”

“Did your instincts tell you that?” Katara said.

“Yes,” he grumbled and jutted his lower lip out into a pout.

“But we can’t leave now, Sokka.” Aang looked at me before glancing at the forest. “What do you think, Appa?”

A roar came from the forest, and a giant animal marched into the campsite. It had six legs, was covered in white fur, and was marked with the same arrows Aang had.

“What is that?” I gasped.

“This is Appa, my flying bison,” Aang said.

A smaller mammal with wings and long ears flew out of the saddle on the bison and landed on the Avatar’s arm.

“And this is Momo, our flying lemur.” He smiled. “Guys, this is Tashi. I finally found another air-bender.”

Appa stepped closer and sniffed me. I remained still, unsure of what he was going to do, but the bison made some in indistinguishable noise and licked me. I yelped as my left side was covered in slimy drool.

Aang laughed. “He likes you.”

My eye twitched, and I grimaced at my soaked clothes. “Great.”

“Come on.” Jet stood at the entrance of the camp and gestured for everyone to follow him. “We should get a move on.”

The other Freedom Fighters pulled the large cart of supplies and hurried after Jet. I was about to air-hop after them, but Aang tapped my shoulder, stopping me.

“Why don’t you take a ride on Appa, so you don’t put anymore stress on your leg?” he said.

“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.” I propelled myself higher in the air and landed in the saddle. 

Aang joined me while Sokka and Katara traveled on foot. The Avatar petted Momo, who was curled around his shoulders, and something dawned on me. While I was an air-bender, I was technically an Earth Kingdom citizen, so where did he come from? His tattoos and clothes seemed too authentic.

“So–” I reclined back against the edge of the saddle. “You mentioned the temples, Aang. Were you living there with what remained of the Air Nomads? Or were you born in the Water Tribe?”

His eyes widened, and he lowered his head, his shoulders drooping. “Neither. I was born over a hundred years ago before the war started.”

I gasped. “But… but how’s that possible? You look twelve-years-old.”

He closed his eyes, his brow knitting, and he seemed conflicted about something. “I don’t know. I ended up trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years, and Katara and Sokka found me in the South Pole not too long ago.”

“Wow.” I crossed my arms and raised an amused eyebrow. “You’re definitely the Avatar if you were able to pull off a crazy stunt like that.”

“Now we’re trying to get to the Northern Water Tribe, so Katara and I can learn water-bending.” His face brightened up, and he smiled. “Hey, you should come with us.”

“Come with you?” I said.

He nodded. “Yeah. We’re the last two air-benders in the world. We should stick together. Besides, I could teach you air-bending and all about our culture.”

“I–” Furrowing my brow, I hugged my arms around myself. “I appreciate the offer, Aang, but I can’t just leave my home like that. The Freedom Fighters are my family. They need me. And Jet–”

I glanced toward the boy who had stolen my heart. I don’t know if I could handle being apart from him and the others. It’s not like the North Pole was right next door, and in this war-torn world, I could risk never seeing any of them ever again. 

However, on the other hand, running into the Avatar was a stroke of luck, and his offer was a once in a lifetime chance. I’ve always wanted to master air-bending, and it wasn’t like I was learning it from anyone. He was a true Air Nomad. There were so many things he could teach me.

Aang seemed to understand my hesitance, for he placed a hand on my shoulder. “Well, give yourself some time to think about it. In the meantime, what’s this hideout like? How many Freedom Fighters are there? How long were you with them?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his barrage of questions. Despite surviving for over a century, he was still a silly, little kid. Either way, I knew I had a big decision to make, and it wasn’t going to be easy.


	3. Torn Apart

“I can’t stay on your life support.

There’s a shortage in the switch.”

-P!nk

* * *

 

Once we arrived at the hideout, Jet showed our guests around while I checked in with the other children. I leapt up to one of the larger platforms where I saw some of them sparring. I cringed from my ankle and leaned against a tree to steady myself. I should’ve been taking it easy, but there was still work to do. There would be time to rest later.

Observing the match, I smiled at the ten-year-old girl sparring against an eleven-year-old boy, who was twice her size. I had found the poor thing scavenging near one of the villages I was scouting when she was only four. She charged at the boy with her knife, who blocked it with his shield. She kept swiping at the shield, but he held his stance and pushed her back.

“The legs, Razor! Go for the legs,” I said.

The boy turned and frowned at me. Razor took the opening and kicked his legs from underneath him. He landed on his back, and before he could recover, she knocked the shield from his hands and held her knife at his throat.

Half of the children cheered while the other half booed. I applauded and nodded to Razor, who smiled at me while pumping her fist in the air. The boy groaned, flailing his arms and legs against the floor like a spoiled child.

“No fair! Tashi distracted me.” He pointed at me.

I stepped away from the tree and limped over to them. “Hey, you’re the one who let yourself get distracted. If you had stayed focused, she wouldn’t have gotten the upper hand.”

Razor stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t be such a sore loser, Blockhead.”

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s _The Block_?” he said.

She snorted. “Who cares? You’re still a loser either way.”

“Hmph.” He stood and stomped off.

“Nice job, Razor.” I ruffled her messy mane of hair. “You’re getting better and better everyday.”

She laughed. “You’ve been a good teacher. So how did the mission go?”

“Better than expected actually.” I looked out to the other children and waved my hand to call their attention. “Everyone, I have an important announcement to make. It appears that the rumors spreading throughout the villages are true. The Avatar has returned, and he and his friends are now here as our honored guests.”

Gasps erupted amongst the children, and I could already predict the bombardment of questions. I waved my hands, settling everyone down.

“I know you’re all curious, and you’ll have a chance to meet the Avatar in a moment. However, I believe this occasion calls for a special feast. Who wants to help with dinner?”

….

Night fell, and everyone was gathered on one of the large platforms for dinner. I sat beside Razor while Jet stood in the center of everyone and gave a rousing speech. I examined our guests. Aang was having a good time, Katara was still entranced by Jet, but Sokka…. He narrowed his eyes at Jet and sulked off to the side of the platform away from his friends. It was clear he didn’t like our group, and I pondered if I should intervene before he caused us any trouble.

Feeling someone tug on my sleeve, I glanced down at Razor. “Something wrong?”

She pointed ahead. “Are you just gonna let Jet flirt with that Water Tribe girl?”

I shrugged. “It’s no big deal. Besides, he’s playing her.”

“Playing her?” Razor blinked.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” I gathered my things and stood. “In the meantime, I’m gonna turn in. My ankle’s killing me. Have a good night, Razor.”

“Night,” she said.

I stepped onto the walkway and saw Longshot waiting in the corner. He nodded to me and handed me a note. 

I unfolded it. “Jet wants me to meet him in his hut. Thanks, Longshot.”

He nodded and walked away.

_Always a man of few words._ I shook my head before making my way to Jet’s hut.

It was the largest and most decorated out of all of them. Heading inside, I collapsed on his cot and sighed. Boy, was it good to finally be off of my feet. I stared up at the ceiling and relaxed until I heard footsteps outside. Jet pushed the curtain aside and entered the hut. 

I sat up and reclined against my hands. “So how long am I gonna have to watch you string along that Water Tribe girl?” 

“Not long.” He sat beside me. “Just until I can carry out my plan.”

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “And what is this plan? You kinda failed to mention it.”

His eyes widened a little, and he glanced away. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Uh, as your second in command, I believe it’s my job to worry about it.” I frowned. “Or do you not wanna tell me because you know I’ll disagree?”

He rested his right arm against his knee and scoffed. “Tashi, don’t start.”

“I have every right to  _start_ .” I groaned. “I hate when you keep secrets from me.”

Jet stared at me for a few moments and heaved a deep sigh, blowing his hair out of his face. He crawled behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Look, I’ve come up with a plan to run the Fire Nation out of Gaipan for good, and I need Aang and Katara’s help to do it,” he said.

I jerked his hands off of me and stood up. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

“Come on, Tashi. Don’t be like this.” When I kept walking, he tossed his swords on the ground. “See. This is exactly why I don’t tell you these things. You let your emotions get in the way of what matters.”

I span around so fast that my hair almost whipped me in the face. “What matters? You think acting rash and violent is what matters? I’m not stupid, Jet. Every time you leave me out of one of your plans, you end up causing way more damage than you need to.”

He walked over to me and grabbed my wrist, almost twisting it. I yelped in pain, but his grip was too strong for me to pull away.

“You’re hurting me.” I saw the rage in his eyes again and flinched. 

“For your own good. I’m the only one willing to make the tough decisions that keep us alive.” He glared at her. “Or did you forget that I saved your life after the Fire Nation almost killed you?  _I_ gave you a home and a purpose after they destroyed your village and left you with nothing!”

I closed my eyes. “No, I haven’t forgotten.”

“Then start acting like it. We’re about to achieve our biggest victory yet.” He let go of my wrist and leaned in to kiss me. “I promise you’ll love it.”

I turned my head away, allowing his lips to only collide with my cheek. “I’m not in the mood. Goodnight, Jet.”

I rushed out of his hut before he could stop me, and hurrying across the bridge, I jumped onto a different walkway out of his reach. Did I mention Jet was the boy who had stolen my heart? Yeah, and then he locked it in a cage, so I’d never leave. With a promise of comfort and security, he made me feel like I’d never be safer anywhere else and preyed upon my fears of losing everything again. Still, I did consider the Freedom Fighters my family, but was this place really my destiny?

I pulled out my great grandmother’s necklace and stared at the amulet. It was no coincidence that I ran into the Avatar. It had to be a sign that my life was meant to take a different course, but was I brave enough to go for it?

Hearing a loud clank, I turned and saw Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, and the Duke hauling off the barrels of blasting jelly we took from the campsite. While I was curious, I was also very exhausted, and I decided I’d investigate in the morning.

….

I woke with a yawn and rubbed my groggy eyes. Sitting up, I flexed my ankle. It didn’t hurt as much as before, but I would make sure to take it easy anyway. After getting ready for the day, I stepped outside of my hut. Judging by the sunlight, I realized I had slept in longer than I should have, and after scolding myself, I made my way through the hideout to begin my duties. While leaping to the next platform, I heard shouting, and following the sound, I saw Katara and Sokka bickering with each other while Aang watched from the sidelines.

I leapt down from my perch and landed beside Sokka, startling him. “Something wrong?”

Katara looked at me. “Nothing. I was just leaving.”

She stomped off in another direction.

Aang walked over to me and bowed. “Morning, Tashi. Have you made your decision yet?”

“Not yet.” I glanced at Sokka, who had stormed back into their hut. “Uh, would you excuse me, Aang? I’d like to speak to Sokka in private.”

“Sure.” He ran off to go play on the zip-lines.

I peeled back the curtains a little. “Sokka, is it alright for me to come in? It’s Tashi.”

There was some grumbling before I heard Sokka mutter, “Fine.”

I entered the hut and saw the Water Tribe boy sitting on his cot. He was sharpening his boomerang and didn’t bother to look at me.

Sighing, I stepped closer and folded my arms. “No offense to Aang and Katara, but you don’t seem as naive as they do. I can tell you don’t trust my group or my boyfriend.”

“Yeah, well–” Sokka paused, his boomerang dropping from his hands, and his eyes widened. “Boyfriend!”

I shrugged. “Yes, now–” 

He stood. “You mean all this time Jet’s been  _your_ boyfriend while he’s been putting the moves on my sister! When I get my hands on him, I’ll–”

Sokka strode toward the exit, but I snatched him by his ponytail and yanked him back. He fell on the floor, and letting out a frustrated yell, he tried to push past me. I placed my hand on his forehead and was able to hold him back with one hand. Being a tall girl had its benefits sometimes.

“Will you let me through already?” Sokka said.

“Not until you tell me what that fight was about.” I pushed him back and folded my arms. “You called Jet a thug.”

“That’s because he beat and robbed a harmless, old man while we were out this morning.” He glared at me. “And he thinks it doesn’t matter because the guy was Fire Nation.”

“Again?” I pinched the bridge of my nose and turned away. “Damn it, Jet.”

“So you believe me?” he said.

My gaze wandered to the floor. “I’ve known Jet for four years. Deep down, he means well, but lately, he’s gotten more rash. He won’t even tell me his plans half the time, and he’s developed a temper.”

I rubbed my wrist, remembering last night. 

Sokka glanced at my wrist. “And by the sound of it, you’ve dealt with his temper more than once.”

_This guy is definitely sharp._ I met his gaze. “Anyway, I think Jet’s up to something. Something big.”

He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Last night, he mentioned running the Fire Nation soldiers out of Gaipan for good, and that he needed Aang and Katara for something important. Then I saw the others taking the barrels of blasting jelly somewhere.”

He put a hand to his chin. “I can’t quite piece it together, but it doesn’t sound good. I need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Well, whatever you do, be careful.” I turned around. “I’m gonna go talk to Jet.”

“Wait,” he said.

I looked at him. 

“You’re not gonna tell him anything, are you?” He narrowed his eyes. “I mean, you have no reason to help me over–”

I put a finger over Sokka’s lips, silencing him. “You’re right. I owe Jet my life, and to be honest, it’s a debt I’m tired of repaying. So do what you need to do to protect Aang and Katara. I won’t stand in your way.”

I removed my finger and saw a blush creep along his face. He must’ve had very little experience with girls if he was that easily flustered. I chuckled to myself before turning to leave again.

“And what about you? You know Aang wants you to join us,” he said.

“That all depends on how Jet plays this. Now, if you’ll excuse me–” I left the hut.

I looked in the direction of Jet’s hut and started making my way over. However, when I landed in front of it, someone grabbed my hands and held them behind my back. 

“I’m so disappointed in you, Tashi,” Jet’s malevolent voice hissed in my ear.

I struggled against him. “Jet, what are you doing? Let me go.”

“Not a chance.” He tightened his hold on me. “I saw you talking to Sokka. What did you tell him?”

“Nothing. I was just being a good hostess and was making sure everything was going okay with him and his group.” I tried to hide the tremble in my voice, but it creeped out despite my efforts.

“Really? Well, we’ll see if you’re telling the truth after tomorrow.” Jet shoved me into his hut. “Until then, you can stay here.”

As I fell on the floor, I reached for my whips, but Jet kicked me across my head before I could move. I collapsed against the floor and was seeing black. 


	4. Goodbye

 “Instead of making me better.  
  
You keep making me ill.”  
  
-P!nk

* * *

 I opened my eyes and cringed at the constant throbbing in my head. Everything looked fuzzy, and the only thing I could make out were the small rays of sunlight peeking through the curtain.

_Wait, sunlight? How long was I out?_ Shifting against the floor, I realized my arms and legs were tied.

"So you're awake?"

"Duke?" As my vision cleared, I saw the small boy sitting in the corner. "What's going on? Where's Jet?"

"None of your business. Jet had me stay behind to watch you, so you won't interfere," he said.

I shifted on my side. "Interfere with what?"

The Duke opened his mouth to speak, but paused and folded his arms. "You're not getting anything out of me, traitor."

"Traitor?" I said.

"Jet said he saw you conspiring with that Water Tribe boy." Sniffling, he rubbed his nose. "Now be quiet. Jet'll release you once he returns."

_Why that…._ I scowled. _I can't believe him._

A part of me blamed myself. If I had just listened and not questioned Jet's actions, everything would've been fine. That's what I told myself any other time we fought. I had misunderstood, and if I just stopped being so difficult, our relationship would smooth out. I closed my eyes. No, no, this was his fault not mine. Why should I have to tip toe around him like a frightened meadow vole and follow his orders?

_I'm an air-bender. I'm free to go wherever the wind takes me._ Tilting my head, I saw my whips and spare knives sitting beside The Duke. _I'm taking the Avatar's offer and getting far away from here._

"I haven't been conspiring with anyone. Jet's overreacting." I struggled in my binds. "Now get me out of here, Duke, or else."

He snorted. "Or else what? You're tied up."

I rolled over on my stomach, and taking a deep breath, I exhaled enough air to push myself upright onto my feet. "But you didn't cover my face."

I hopped toward the exit, but The Duke tripped me with his spear. I fell through the curtain, tearing it down with me, and landed halfway outside of the hut.

"Nice try." He grabbed my feet and started pulling me back inside.

_Big mistake._ Taking another deep breath, I exhaled through my feet and knocked back into the wall.

"Tashi, there you are."

I looked up and saw Razor rushing toward me. "Oh, thank the spirits. Razor, get me out of this."

Seeing the state I was in, she gasped. "What happened?"

"Jet's lost his mind. I have to find him." I squirmed against my binds. "Hurry."

Razor took out her large, butcher knife and cut the ropes around my arms and legs.

I stood and rubbed my wrists. "Thanks. Do you know where Jet and the others went?"

She put her knife away and shook her head. Hearing a groan, I looked at The Duke. He was sprawled on the floor, his spear and helmet laying next to him. He seemed delirious, but he was still conscious. I felt a little guilt at the state he was in. I didn't like hurting children, but he didn't give me much choice.

I looked at Razor with a smirk. "How about a new lesson? It's called interrogation. Get information from Duke about Jet while I collect my stuff."

Razor nodded, and she ran over to The Duke. "Where's Jet? Answer me!"

I sheathed my spare knives before walking over to Jet's stash of money and took what I could fit into my pockets. "He's a bit knocked out. You need to get his attention. Grab his collar and shake him a little."

She snatched his collar with both hands and shook him until he came to. "Where's Jet?"

The Duke gasped, and he shifted his gaze from Razor to me. "What?"

I saw him reach for his spear. "Quick! Put your knife to his throat."

In one swift motion, Razor had her knife pointed at his neck before he could raise his spear. He dropped it and gulped, his eyes widening.

"Don't hurt me." He trembled. "Please."

"We won't so long as you cooperate." I walked over to Razor and adjusted the position of her hands. "Here. Hold it to his neck like this, and lean against him a bit. Intimidation is important, and you need to convince him that you have the upper hand. Now, what we you waiting for, Duke? Answer the lady."

He shifted his gaze between us again. "Alright, alright. Jet sent the Avatar and that Water Tribe girl to the reservoir to open the geysers."

I narrowed my eyes. "And why would he want to fill the reservoir?"

"Because he's gonna blow up the dam and flood Gaipan to get rid of the Fire Nation," he said.

Razor gasped. "What?"

"What is Jet thinking? There are Earth Kingdom citizens in that town. He'll kill them." I grabbed my whips and rushed out of the hut.

"Wait!"

Pausing in my attempt to jump, I straightened my posture and turned to face Razor. "There's no time to waste. I have to go."

"Let me go with you," she said.

I shook my head. "Out of the question. It's too dangerous."

She tilted her head up and put her hands on her hips. "I can handle myself."

"As your teacher, I'll have to disagree, and I'd feel terrible if something happened to you out there." I knelt in front of her. "Stay here with the other children. This place is your safe haven to train until you're strong enough to _actually_ handle yourself. Trust me."

She pursed her lips like she was about to whine, but she huffed, letting her arms slacken to her sides. "Fine. Just come back soon, okay?"

My heart sank, and I met her pleading, gold eyes with regret. There was no time to explain to her that I was leaving for good, and she wasn't old enough to understand why anyway. I searched my brain for the right words to say, so she wouldn't worry. However, I came up empty.

"Take care." I kissed her forehead before standing up. "Hopefully, our paths will cross again."

Razor furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Without another word, I latched one of my whips onto a tree branch and made my way down. If I was quick, I could save the town, but where should I go? The Fire Nation soldiers would arrest me before I had a chance to warn them, and the other Freedom Fighters weren't going to heed my orders now that I've been deemed a traitor. My only chance was to stop Jet himself.

I landed on the ground and sped toward the reservoir. _He has to be somewhere between here and the dam._

When I arrived at the reservoir, I saw that Aang and Katara had already filled it to the brim. Was I too late? I followed the path to the cliff that overlooked the river, and I spotted the dam in the distance. It was still intact.

"Jet, stop!"

_Katara?_ I rushed in the direction of her voice.

Katara was looking up at the trees, her eyes wet and puffy. I followed her gaze and saw Aang and Jet fighting each other. Aang was holding his own, but Jet was getting too many hits in and didn't seem to be slowing down. I cracked my whip, ready to jump up and help, but I was knocked back by a blast of water. I fell on the ground, and looked up to see Katara, who was glaring down at me.

"What are you doing here?" She held the stream of water steady, waiting to strike me again.

"Trying to stop my ex-boyfriend from committing mass murder." I raised an eyebrow. "You?"

Her eyes widened, and her hands released the water, letting it drop on the ground with a loud splash. "So Sokka was right? Jet didn't actually like me at all."

Katara turned away from me, and she looked like she about to cry again. I stood, grimacing at my now wet clothes, and retrieved my whips.

"Well, it could be worse. You could've dated a boy, who you thought was gonna be the love of your life, only for him to turn into an abusive jerk." I gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "But, hey, lesson learned. Now you know there's more to relationships than a pretty face and a few sweet words."

Aang dropped to the ground in front of us, his staff falling beside him. Jet landed a second after, his gaze locking with mine, but before either one of us could say anything, Katara lashed out at him with a stream of water.

"You lied to me!" She bended more water from the reservoir and struck him again. "I trusted you! You kissed me even though you're dating Tashi!"

I knelt beside Aang. "Aang, wake up."

Groaning, he opened his eyes and sat up. "The village."

He grabbed his staff and opened it, revealing it was a glider. Speeding toward the cliff, he jumped but fell back on the ground.

I ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

He looked at the shredded cloth on his glider. "It's too damaged. I can't make it over there."

"Where's Sokka, you jerk!" Katara said.

Aang and I looked back to see that she had frozen Jet to the base of a tree. His head was free of the ice, which was a shame in my opinion. What? With how I was feeling, I would've gladly let him suffocate to death in his frosty prison.

A bird call echoed in the distance, and I gasped. "Katara, cover his mouth!"

However, she looked at me with a furrowed brow, allowing Jet to send a bird call in reply.

Katara shifted her gaze between Jet and me. "What's he doing?"

"He just gave them the signal to blow up the dam," I said.

Jet smirked. "You're too late."

"What?" Katara's eyes widened, and she looked toward the village. "No!"

A loud boom sounded off followed by rushing water, and the three of us ran to the cliff to see a tsunami overrun Gaipan.

"Sokka's still out there. Maybe he–" Aang's eyebrows raised. "Katara?"

I turned to see Katara marching over to Jet.

"Jet, you monster!" She glared at him, her fists clenched. "You killed all those people."

"An unfortunate sacrifice for our victory." He stared her straight in the eye, his face stoic. "You'll understand one day."

I walked over to Katara and stood beside her. "You're absolutely unbelievable, you know that? How can you justify killing a whole town of innocent people just to achieve your own ends? You're no different than the soldiers who burned down my village and tried to kill me!"

His eyes filled with rage, and he spoke in a deeper, warning tone. "Take that back. I'm nothing like the Fire Nation!"

"That's up for debate."

All of us turned our attention toward the cliff and saw Sokka riding on Appa.

Katara ran toward her brother. "Sokka, you're okay."

He smiled. "And so are the villagers. The Fire Nation soldiers thought I was a spy at first, but the old man Jet threatened yesterday vouched for me. Everyone evacuated before the dam was destroyed."

"What?" Jet scowled at him. "You traitor! You ruined everything. This valley would've been free."

"And how would the dead Earth Kingdom villagers be free?" Sokka narrowed his eyes. "The only traitor I see is you, Jet. Aang, Katara, let's go."

The two of them rushed toward Appa, and I followed. "Wait. I'm coming too."

Aang turned around and gave me a bright smile. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

"Tashi, get back here! Where do you think you're going?" Jet said.

I looked back at him with one hand resting on my hip. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell you, didn't I? The Avatar invited to me to join him on his journey, and I accepted."

"What?" His eyes widened. "You're leaving me?"

There was a strain of hurt in his voice, but I wasn't going to let that sway me. "Yes, I am. I'm tired of your nonsense, Jet. We're done."

Scoffing, he glared at me. "Like you'd last five minutes out there without me. You need me, Tashi!"

"Shut up!" I stepped closer. "Why would I need someone who doesn't trust me? Someone who locks me up for talking to another guy? Someone who uses my past against me? I've never needed you, Jet, and I'll survive just fine with my new friends."

"New friends?" Jet snorted. "Don't kid yourself, Tashi. No one would ever love you like I do. You can cover yourself in as many layers as you want, but we both know that underneath, you're a disfigured freak!"

I crossed my arms, my hands gripping my elbows, and my watery eyes stared at the ground.

"You should consider yourself lucky I didn't consider dumping you for Katara." He laughed. "She's not damaged like you are."

I reached for one of my whips, ready to lash the smirk off of his face. Before I could, a whip of water struck Jet and froze his mouth shut. I glanced to my left and saw a furious Katara heaving next to me.

"How dare you say something so vile! You deserve everything you get, Jet!" She grabbed my hand and led me back to Appa. "Come on, Tashi."

We climbed into the sky bison's saddle, and at Sokka's command, Appa took off into the air. I glanced back at Jet as he became smaller and smaller until he was nothing more than a tiny speck in this large world. I left him. I left my home, everything that I knew, and I was happy. It felt strange to think, but I was.

Katara placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay? Jet had no right to–"

"It's fine. It's over now." I smiled, enjoying the wind blowing through my hair. "So we're heading for the North Pole? Guess I'll have to get some warmer clothes and supplies along the way."

"You won't be able to get much." Sokka glanced back at me. "We're kinda broke."

"Not a problem." I pulled one of the bags of coins from my pocket. "I figured since Jet and I were dating for two years, I should get my fair share. He keeps the Freedom Fighters, and I take the money."

"Are you serious?" Katara said.

I winked at her and placed the bag back into my pocket. "Lesson two in relationships, Katara. When breaking up with losers, always make sure you're well compensated for your trouble."

She laughed. "You know, I think it's nice to finally have another girl around."

Aang moved over next to me. "We're gonna have so much fun together, Tashi."

I looked out toward the horizon. Two days ago, I never thought I would be traveling the world with the Avatar, but here I was. Whatever adventures awaited me, I knew it was going to be an interesting journey.


	5. Bonding

“Who knows what could happen?  
  
There’s always a brand new day.”  
  
-Avril Lavigne

* * *

 After almost a day of flying, we decided to camp out for the evening. Appa and Momo were fast asleep. Sokka took the task of putting up the tents, Katara was fetching firewood, and Aang and I ventured out in search of some food.

"So you have to master the other three elements by the end of the summer?" I cringed. "That can't be easy."

"Yeah, but I have no choice." Aang sighed. "If I don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet, who knows what'll happen."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out." I smiled before scanning the barren terrain around us.

There was nothing but earth, canyon rocks, and dust for miles, a stark contrast to the lush forest I had grown accustomed to. There were a few trees, but they didn't look like they bore any fruit.

"How are we supposed to find food around here? Maybe there's a village nearby with a market?" I said.

"The next village is a two day trip from here." Aang sped over to the cliff and searched around. "But hey, there's a patch of trees right below. I'm sure we can find some lychee nuts, mushrooms, and berries."

I pulled out one of my knifes. "And maybe a few critters roaming about too."

He looked at me. "Oh, you eat meat?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just that, traditionally, Air Nomads are vegetarians. We respect all life no matter how small." He rubbed the back of his head. "And well, as part of your training, you need to learn and follow our customs."

 _No meat? I don't like the sound of that._ I glanced at my knife.

I didn't know much about our culture aside from the few things in my great grandmother's scrolls, and those were really only diary entries. Looking back at Aang, my heart throbbed with guilt. He had been so happy to find me, and I couldn't fathom how he felt being separated from the other nomads after pretty much skipping through time.

"I suppose a change in diet won't be so bad." I pocketed my knife and walked over to him. "But are you sure the others wouldn't like something? Sokka's already spent the past few hours bemoaning how hungry he is."

"Sokka's always like that." Waving off the comment, Aang opened his staff into a glider. "Now, let's go."

Looking down, I saw that there were a few ledges along the cliff, but after that it was still a fair way down without any leverage. While Aang glided down, I hopped from ledge to ledge, and I used my whips to jump into one of the trees and descend through the branches.

I landed beside Aang. "That glider sure comes in handy. I wish I had one of those."

He smiled while closing the glider into a staff again. "It was handcrafted by the monks, but I'm sure we could find a way to get you one too. Although, you do have some talent. How much do you know about air-bending?"

"Let's see…." I counted off on my fingers. "Meditation, controlling my breath, and combining my bending with weapons. But I don't really know anything about traditional air-bending if there are any differences. Maybe I could give you a demonstration, so you know where to start?"

"Good idea. Now, come on. I'm starving," he said.

Once we collected everything we could find, we returned to the campsite and found Katara and Sokka arguing over duties. While Aang settled their sibling feud, I went searching through their supplies.

"Hey, do you guys have any cooking pots or pans?" I said.

Katara walked over to me. "We did, but they kinda got swept away during one of our previous adventures."

Her face flushed as though she might of had something to do with it, and I saw Aang give an awkward smile. I nodded and started rationing what we had into small bowls.

"Fine, but the second we find a market, I'm getting some cooking supplies," I said.

Sokka finished setting up the campfire and struck a pair of spark rocks to light it. "You know how to cook?"

"Yeah, it was part of my responsibility back with the Freedom Fighters, and I'm pretty versatile with limited resources." I handed him his rations.

"Hmm. That sounds–" His mouth started watering, and he looked at what I gave him. "What? No meat?"

"I was, but Aang said Air Nomads are vegetarians." I shrugged. "However, if you can catch something, I'll cook it for you."

"And while you're at it, you can teach Katara." He took a bite out of a lychee nut. "Her skills have never been that great."

A twig flew into my line of sight and struck Sokka across the head. I glanced to the right and saw his sister glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry my cooking abilities aren't up to your standards." She huffed. "You could always just do it yourself, you know?"

Aang stood in between them. "Hey, what did I say before? Harsh words won't solve problems. Action will. Tashi can be in charge of cooking from now on."

I shivered and decided to sit beside the campfire. Taking a few breaths, I evened out my body temperature between the evening chill and the warmth from the fire. It was a useful skill I discovered after a really bad winter.

"So, you guys have been traveling for a while." I started eating a few berries. "What else have you done besides stopping villages from being flooded?"

The three of them looked at each other, unsure of who should start first.

Aang smiled. "Well, after we left the South Pole, we visited lots of places. I rode on hopping llamas, wild hog-monkeys, and elephant koi fish. Oh, and I even rode on a giant unagi when we visited Kyoshi Island."

Sokka's eyes glazed over into a daze, and he smiled. "Yeah, Kyoshi Island. We should go back there some time."

"Then we went to Omashu and visited my friend Bumi." Aang laughed. "You should've been there. They have this mailing system that you can ride like a super slide."

"That sounds exciting." I furrowed my brow. "But riding dangerous animals and mailing systems aren't really my thing."

Katara smiled. "I helped liberate a bunch of earth-benders from a Fire Nation prison."

"Wow. That's brave," I said.

"Well, I couldn't stand back and do nothing." She frowned. "While our mission is to travel to the North Pole, we still try to help as many people as we can."

"That's very admirable of you." I continued eating. "That used to be the Freedom Fighters' mission until Jet became obsessed."

"What made you get tangled up with a guy like him to begin with? You mentioned something about owing him your life," Sokka said.

"Four years ago, I was out playing in a nearby field when the Fire Nation attacked my village. I ran back to find my grandparents, but there was so much chaos." My gaze lowered to the ground. "I was caught by one of the soldiers and air-bended at him to escape. He chased after me, thinking I was the Avatar, but I managed to get away. Later, Jet found me and brought me back to his hideout."

"Do you think your family could still be out there somewhere?" Katara said.

I shook my head. "My mother died giving birth to me. My father joined the army not too long after, and he didn't make it. As for my village, Jet and I searched for any survivors, but everyone had either been taken or killed."

Sokka narrowed his eyes. "The soldier who attacked you, what did he look like?"

"I remember he was an older man, a fire-bender, and he had these big side-burns." I gestured how big they were against my own face. "I never learned his name, but I'd know him if I saw him."

Sokka, Katara, and Aang shared a look like they knew who I was talking about.

"What?" I blinked.

Katara looked at me. "When we went to the Fire Nation so Aang could contact Avatar Roku, we were caught. One of fire-benders, I think he was a commander or general or something, but he fits the description."

"So he's still alive?" I stared at the fire.

"Don't worry." Aang placed a hand on my shoulder. "We're not gonna let him get you."

"Oh, he won't." I frowned and said in a dark tone, "I'll get him first."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Going by Aang's tone, I could tell he was worried about my sudden change in mood, and I gave him a reassuring smile. "I mean, if he attacks us, I won't lose. I won't let him harm anyone else."

He didn't seem convinced, but left my side to go tend to Appa.

I looked at Sokka and Katara. "Are there any other enemies you've made that I need to know about?"

"Zuko." Katara glared at her empty bowl. "He's the Fire Nation prince and has been tracking us since the South Pole to capture Aang."

"Geez, you have the Royal family after you? What does he look like?" I folded my arms. _Guess it was a good idea I didn't bring Razor with me. This is way too dangerous._

"Teenager, long ponytail, and a scar on his face," Sokka said.

"Noted." I yawned. "Anyway, I'm gonna turn in."

Katara stood. "Come on, Tashi. You can share my tent."

"Thank you." I followed her. _It'll only be a matter of time before I run into the fire-bender who attacked my village, and I'm gonna make him regret it. Regret what he did to me. Whoever you are, wherever you are, you'd better be ready._

….

I jumped down from Appa, ignoring the murmurs of the sick Zhangs and elderly Gan Jin. I had decided to go with them to make sure there were no Fire Nation soldiers waiting on the other side of the canyon while Aang, Katara, and Sokka led the rest of the two tribes the long way.

"What's taking them so long?" I furrowed my brow. "Are they lost?"

I walked to the edge of the cliff and almost screamed at the sight of a bunch of oversized bugs crawling up the cliffside toward me. I jumped back as the first creature reached the edge of the cliff and pulled out my whips. However, I hesitated when I saw Aang riding it.

He commanded an order before jumping off, and not too long after, I saw Katara, Sokka, and the tribe members leap off the creatures once they reached the top. Aang tossed a bag of food back over the cliff, and the creatures returned to the canyon to get it.

"Thank the spirits you guys are okay." I rushed over to them. "What happened?"

"The Zhangs and Gan Jin brought food with them, and we ended up trapped," Katara said.

"I knew helping these guys was a waste of time." I glanced over right as the leaders of both tribes started fighting again. "There are some conflicts you just can't resolve."

"Someone has to try." Aang walked over to them.

While he tried to calm the leaders down again, Katara, Sokka and I got the sick and elderly down from Appa's saddle. We overheard some of Aang's story of how he knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin. It seemed a bit far-fetched to me, but both tribes bought it and decided to stop fighting. Once they were gone, we walked over to Aang.

"That's some luck you knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin," Sokka said.

"You could call it luck." Aang gave us a sly grin. "Or you could call it lying."

"You did not." Katara picked up Momo. "That's so wrong."

"At least it got them to shut up." I rolled my eyes. "And it's nice to know that the Avatar isn't a goody-two shoes all the time."

"What? Nothing else was working, and they would've killed each other otherwise," Aang said.

Sokka jumped onto Appa and took the reins. "Well, let's get out here. I've had it with this canyon."

We flew for a while until we reached a cozy hiding spot on the shore. Appa landed, and we set up camp. Once finished, Aang and Sokka relaxed by the campfire, and I saw Katara walk over to the water with a scroll in hand.

I walked over to her. "What's that?"

"A water-bending scroll I _borrowed_ from some pirates." She opened the scroll and set it on a rock where it wouldn't get damaged.

I folded my arms. "And by _borrowed_ , you mean stole?"

She smiled. "I prefer to call it, _High-Risk Trading_."

I laughed. "But why do you and Aang need to go to the North Pole to learn water-bending? Don't they have benders in the South Pole?"

"No, I'm the last one. The others were taken during various raids." Katara's eyes watered. "They also killed my mother."

"I'm sorry." I looked out toward the waves, enjoying the ocean spray. "Your brother is with you, but what about the rest of your family?"

"Our grandmother and what's left of our village is back in the South Pole. Our father and the rest of the men left two years ago to fight the Fire Nation. We haven't seen them since," she said.

I nodded. "Well, for your sake, I hope they're still alive."

"Thank you." She held her hands out and began practicing.

For obvious reasons, I hadn't seen much of water-bending, and I couldn't help but admire how fluid the motions were. It was very different to the others. Earth-bending was rigid and unrelenting while fire-bending was aggressive and offensive. I wondered what true air-bending was like. Would I be any good at it after developing my own haphazard skills?

 _Only one way to find out._ I looked back at Aang and bowed. "Sifu Aang, I'm ready for my first lesson if you are."


	6. Opposing Energies

“Let the clouds roll in and fill the sky.  
  
Don’t run from the pain you’ve felt.”  
  
-Hilary Duff

* * *

 Aang and I stood opposite from each other. His stance was open, his palms facing me, and I was tight with clenched fists. He seemed hesitant, unwilling to make the first move, and I held him at a stale-mate as I tried to detect a weak point. Given his height, I would have to keep my attacks low, and while his feet seemed ready to spring from the ground at any moment, I could tell he favored his left.

"Ready on three. One, two–" Sokka swung his hand down. "Three."

Keeping my feet rooted, I punched a blast of air at Aang, but he dodged it. I punched again, and he dodged it again. Punch. Dodge. Punch. Dodge. Punch. Dodge. Gritting my teeth, I ran at him, and he jumped over me. I turned, my left fist swinging to strike him with another gust of air, but he used his staff to air-bend me into the water.

I groaned as I hit the waves with a splash, and I shivered at the water's chill temperature. Jumping to my feet, I ran toward Aang again. I kept punching and kicking air at him, but he continued to avoid and evade me until he was able to knock me down again.

"That does it." I pulled out my whips and took a new stance.

I sashayed to the right, my footsteps slow and calculated, and my whips cracked against the sand, ready to strike like serpents. Aang held a defensive stance, once again waiting for me to make the first move.

I scowled and broke my stance, my hands dropping to my sides. "What's the deal? Why won't you attack me?"

Aang dropped his stance as well. "Air-bending is about being defensive and following the path of least resistance. There's no sense in attacking you if I can figure out a way to avoid you until you wear yourself out."

"What?" I said.

He walked over to me. "Your stance is too rigid, and your attacks are full of quick bursts and aggression."

"That's because I base my techniques off of fire-bending." I put my whips away and used my air-bending to dry myself off. "And I'm still Earth Kingdom, don't forget."

Sokka folded his arms. "And why would you wanna learn from fire-bending? It's destructive, and dangerous, and meant for jerks."

"Because it's the most similar. Fire-bending builds its energy from the breath and extends outward from the body like air-bending." I grinned. "Besides, knowing your enemy makes it easier to defeat them."

"For your first lesson, I guess we'll have to start with philosophy. You need to understand what it means to be a true Air Nomad; otherwise, you'll only be in conflict with yourself," Aang said.

I raised an eyebrow. "In conflict with myself?"

"I could see it in your expressions. You fight with the intent to harm, and you're too focused on achieving the most powerful attacks." He frowned. "Air Nomads are deeply spiritual, and we strive to achieve lives of peace and freedom. Our strategy is being evasive and only using aggression when absolutely necessary."

"Yeah, well, last I checked, we're still in the middle of a war. Striking quickly and efficiently could be the difference between you, or someone you love, living or dying." I punched my right fist into my left palm. "How do you expect to defeat anyone, let alone the Fire Lord, if you runaway from everything?"

Aang's eyes widened a little, and he furrowed his brow. "We're done for today."

Hanging his head, he returned to Appa and hopped into his saddle.

I blinked and looked at Katara and Sokka. "Was it something I said?"

"It's getting late. We should turn in." Katara rolled up her water-bending scroll and went to go talk to Aang.

Sokka yawned. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

We settled down just as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, and I rolled over on my side, enjoying the soft feel of the sand. So far, air-bending seemed too… passive, and while I wasn't a terrible person, no one who truly knew me would describe me as a pacifist.

I sighed and closed my eyes. _Maybe Aang's right._

I was raised in a family and village of bold, stubborn earth-benders. I knew I inherited some of those traits, but earth-bending didn't translate to air very well. However, after fighting countless Fire Nation soldiers, I started picking up their movements, and to be honest, I felt like it suited me.

My thoughts drifted to my village, my family, Jet, and that fire-bender who attacked me. Everyday, the rage and pain from those memories swelled in my stomach like a ball of hot air needing release. The fire-bending moves I learned helped me unleash those frustrations. It was therapeutic, passionate, freeing, and I realized that my training with Aang was going to be a very bumpy ride.

….

The next day we traveled to a small fishing village. The skies were clear, but I could smell a lot moisture in the air. Maybe it was because we were so close to the ocean? Either way, I focused on searching the market for necessary supplies.

"Let's see…." I went over my mental shopping list. "Food, cooking supplies, and traveling supplies. Simple enough."

I started with traveling supplies, which were a little pricey, but I knew it would be worth it in the long run. Next, I bought a medium cooking pot for stews, a stirring spoon, and chopsticks. I then started browsing the food carts. I knew we needed something that would keep for a while, so I bought several bags of rice, herbs, and a few eggplants and mushrooms.

Looking at my giant pile of purchases, I sighed. "Now I just need to carry all this stuff."

The young man sweeping the floor smiled at me. "I'd be glad to help you with that, Miss."

"Well, if it isn't too much trouble?" I said.

"Not at all." He retrieved a wooden cart and started loading my things. "Anything for such a lovely, well-paying customer."

I bowed. "Thank you very much, sir."

"You're welcome, and it's Cheng." He started pushing the cart. "Where to?"

"I'm Tashi." I blushed. "J… just follow me."

I don't know why I felt so flustered. He was some random guy I'd never see again, but I couldn't help but replay Jet's last words to me in my head.

_"Don't kid yourself, Tashi. No one would ever love you like I do. You can cover yourself in as many layers as you want, but we both know that underneath, you're a disfigured freak!"_

I knew I was attractive on some level. My face was symmetrical and delicate, and according to my grandfather, I had inherited my great grandmother's eyes and my mother's silky, long hair. However, that was all I'd let anyone see. The rest of my body remained covered, even my hands. Jet had been the exception, and all he did was use my insecurities against me.

No, I'd never make that mistake again. He was right. Any guy who saw the rest of me would no longer praise me with compliments. After all, in the Earth Kingdom, a simple village girl's only duty was to be pretty and demure, so she could attract a husband. I would just be laughed at and left for someone better.

 _Do Air Nomads get married?_ I glanced toward the ocean. _Oh, who am I kidding? A traditional life isn't my destiny._

"There you are, Tashi." Sokka ran over to me. "We wanna buy some fruit, but you just wandered off with all the money."

"Sorry. I got a little carried away." I nodded to the cart behind me before pointing at Appa. "Just set it beside the bison, Cheng. And thanks again."

Cheng did so and walked over to me. "Just return the cart once you're done. So, uh, how long do plan on staying in the village?"

My blush returned, and I glanced away. "My friends and I should be gone by tonight. We're on a long journey, and we really only stopped for supplies."

"Oh." He furrowed his brow before giving me a bright smile. "Well, if you're ever in town again, I'd love to go out with you."

"Uh… I…." I forced a smile. "I'll think about it. Thanks."

He nodded and returned to his shop, not caring that I had no interest in him or intention to return. I shook my head. Guys could be so overconfident sometimes.

Sokka tapped my shoulder. "Not to interrupt your love life, but can you hand over the money before that grouchy lady kicks us out?"

I retrieved the remaining small bag and handed it to Sokka. "Here."

I followed him to the fruit cart where Aang and Katara were trying to pick out a melon.

"I don't like that swishing." Katara shook the melon near her ear.

"It's ripe. I'm telling you." The grouchy lady frowned. "Do you want it or not?"

"Here." Sokka opened the bag and poured its contents into his hand. "We'll take the melon and everything in the basket."

"Five copper pieces!" The grouchy lady swatted his hand, knocking the coins on the ground. "Do you take me for a fool! Get out!"

"Five copper pieces?" Sokka looked at me. "That's it?"

"I needed supplies." I shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile. "And don't worry. I bought plenty of rice and a few garnishes."

"We can't survive off of rice," he said.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Well, if you want to buy more, you could get a job, smart guy."

An old couple passed by and were bickering about a storm coming. I looked up. Is that why there was so much moisture in the air?

"I'll take the job." Sokka walked over to the old couple.

"You're hired," the old man said.

Aang furrowed his brow. "Are you this is a good idea, Sokka? If there's a storm coming–"

"Hey, Katara said to get a job, so I did." Sokka smiled. "Besides, this fisherman's paying double."

The fisherman raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

"Well, before you set sail Captain Boomerang–" I walked over to Appa and grinned when I heard Katara and Aang laugh. "Can you guys help me load these supplies?"

We secured everything I bought in Appa's saddle, and by the time we were done, thick, dark gray storm clouds had begun to fill the sky.

Aang looked up. "Sokka, look at the clouds. You shouldn't go."

"I already promised the fisherman. I can't back out just because of a few clouds." Sokka walked over to the fisherman's boat and started helping him.

The old lady, whom I assumed was the fisherman's wife nodded toward Aang. "The boy with the tattoos makes sense. You should listen to him."

"Tattoos." The Fisherman looked at us and walked over to Aang. "You're the Avatar, aren't you?"

Katara smiled. "He sure is."

"Don't act so proud." He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Aang. "You turned your back on the world."

"How dare you." Katara frowned. "Aang would never turn his back on anyone."

She tried to diffuse the fisherman's accusations, but he didn't seem convinced. I glanced at Aang, who watched the exchange with sullen eyes, and he retreated back.

"Aang, are you okay?" I said.

He opened his staff into a glider, and he flew away.

"Aang?" I ran forward and stopped at the spot he took off. "Aang!"

Katara grabbed my hand. "Come on, we have to go after him."

The two of us climbed onto Appa, and Katara took the reins. We set off in the direction Aang flew, but there was no sign of him. Soon the storm unleashed its full furry, and we struggled to search the area in the crushing downpour. Katara pointed out a small cave in the cliffside, and Appa let out a roar, confirming Aang's location. We landed and headed inside.

Aang was huddled in the dark, and he turned when he heard us. "I'm sorry."

Katara walked over to him. "It's okay. That fisherman was way out of line."

"No, he wasn't." He returned his attention to the dark abyss of the cave.

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Getting trapped in that iceberg was an accident, wasn't it?"

He sighed. "Not exactly."

"Let's get a fire going." Katara guided Appa into the cave. "Then we can talk this out."

We gathered as much dry wood as we could find, and I used the spark rocks to start the fire. When the flames became stronger, I set up the cooking perch and took my pot outside to collect the rainwater. Once there was enough in the pot, I returned to the campfire and starting add rice and a few mushrooms and herbs.

I sat beside Katara. "There. I nice warm meal always hits the spot during a storm."

However, she was too focused on Aang, who was staring into the fire while petting Momo. "Come on, Aang, say something. It's not a good idea to keep these kinds of things bottled up."

He lifted his head to look at us. "I'll never forget the day the monks told me I was the Avatar."

I listened while Aang told us the story of his past, and while Katara grew more and more sympathetic, I became more and more angry. When he had told me about the iceberg incident, I had thought he ended up that way after fleeing from the Fire Nation or getting trapped during a fight. Anything but the truth he was revealing now.

"How could you be so selfish?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Tashi, it's not his fault." Katara looked at me.

"How can it not be? He went missing for a hundred years because he acted like a childish brat and wouldn't accept his responsibility. And why?" I stood and looked at Aang. "Because you just wanted to be a kid? Because you didn't want to be separated from the people you loved? Well, guess what happened? The rest of us lost our childhoods and loved ones because you only thought about yourself!"

Aang stared at me with wide, watery eyes, and he remained silent. A pang of guilt shot through my heart, but I refused to take back my words. It was the truth and how I felt.

"That's not fair, Tashi!" Katara stood and put her hands on her hips. "Aang didn't choose to be the Avatar."

"And I didn't choose to be a scarred–" Tears ran down my cheeks, and my body started shaking. "I was attacked and almost killed because that Fire Nation soldier thought I was Aang. If he had been around to do his job, that never would've happened."

"Tashi?" She furrowed her brow when I started crying.

"You know what? You're absolutely right, Katara." I wiped my eyes. "I'm sorry, Aang. You can't be blamed for what happened back then. You're a true Air Nomad, after all. Avoiding and evading your problems is just a part of your nature."

"Tashi, stop it. For all we know, this was Aang's destiny. He's here now, and that's what matters," Katara said.

"Whatever." I waved her off and kneeled in front of my pot. "Why don't you two go find Sokka while I finish cooking, or did you forget we left him behind?"

The fisherman's wife ran into the cave and informed us that her husband and Sokka were lost at sea. Aang and Katara set off into the storm on Appa while I stayed with the old lady. I thanked the spirits that she remained quiet and focused on stirring the food. A part of me knew I shouldn't have been so harsh on Aang, but I couldn't help it. This war was never ending, and now the fate of the world rested on the shoulders of a goofy, irresponsible child. No offense, but it wasn't comforting in the slightest.

I sighed. _Training under Aang is gonna be a nightmare._


	7. Hope

 “And the rain won’t wash away,  
  
The ashes underneath your nails today.”  
  
-Emilie Autumn

* * *

 Aang and Katara returned with Sokka and the fisherman, and the rest of the night remained tense. Aang wouldn't look me in the eye while Katara wouldn't stop giving me dirty looks. Knowing any further dialogue would result in another disagreement, I kept silent, served dinner, and retired to bed.

The next morning we awoke to Sokka coughing a fit. It appeared the only thing he caught with the fisherman was a terrible fever, and we decided to find better shelter than a damp cave. We came across an abandoned village and took refuge in one of the temple ruins.

Sokka was bundled in his sleeping-sack and was placed against Appa. Katara was tending to him while Aang had been sent out to find some ginger root. I was preparing some soup, and once it went into the simmer phase, I wandered off to the edge of the temple to meditate.

I sat cross-legged at the edge of the stone floor and looked out at our surroundings. Now that the worst of the storm had passed, I couldn't help but find the atmosphere relaxing. The air was much clearer after it rained.

"Tashi, is the soup ready yet?" Katara said.

I glanced back at her. "It should be a few more minutes, but you can test it to be sure."

She ladled a spoonful into one of our bowls and drank it. I saw her eyes widened, and she smacked her lips in displeasure.

"Wow, that's… strong." She grimaced.

I laughed. "I added peppermint leaves. It'll help with Sokka's fever. Although, if it's still that bitter, you should let it sit for a little while longer."

"It seems like it should." She set the bowl down and continued wiping her brother's forehead with a rag.

I closed my eyes and practiced my deep breathing. After a few minutes, I was about to get into my _zone_ as I like to call it when I heard footsteps next to me. I peered one eye open and saw Katara.

She sat down beside me. "Tashi, we need to talk."

"If this is about Aang, I'm not taking back what I said." I closed my eye and exhaled.

"What you said wasn't fair. Or nice." She narrowed her eyes. "You really had no right to blame him."

"Life isn't fair or nice." I took a deep breath. "And my grandparents didn't raise me to dance around the truth and sugarcoat things."

"He suddenly had this huge burden placed on his shoulders, and I can't imagine how overwhelming it was. It was a difficult situation," Katara said.

I exhaled. "Difficult or not, choices have consequences, and what did Aang accomplish by running away? He still has to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, except the situation's been made worse. He's on a time limit, and you three have almost gotten yourselves killed just for him to learn basic abilities. You can't run from who you are."

She huffed. "And what gives you the right to judge?"

"Because before Aang returned, I was the last air-bender in the whole world, and even with him here, there's still only two of us." Opening my eyes, I removed my left glove and held up my hand. "And I'm reminded of it every day."

Her eyes widened. "You're burned."

"My hands only suffered minor abrasions. The rest of me is worse." I stared at the feathered scars that ran along my skin. "I didn't choose to be an air-bender, but I accepted the responsibility of my existence. I've done whatever it takes to survive, so the line doesn't end with me. Aang, on the other hand–"

"What happened in the past can't be changed." She sighed. "But he can make a difference now."

"And has he learned his lesson?" I put my glove back on. "Or will he keep making the same mistakes? He's still only twelve."

She smiled. "I believe he will."

I chuckled. "Hope is a good thing to have. I admit that when I first heard rumors of Aang's return, I was hopeful. In fact, if you three hadn't showed up, I don't think I would've developed the courage to leave Jet."

"When we visited the Southern Air Temple, I'll never forget how much rage and pain Aang suffered through when he learned the Nomads were really gone." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't forget that you give him hope too."

I nodded. "I know I do."

Sokka sneezed and started laughing. "Appa, you crack me up."

Katara stood. "I should get back to him."

"The soup should be ready. Give him a small amount to see how he reacts." I was about to continue my meditation when I saw Aang return.

Aang walked over to Katara. "How's Sokka doing?"

"Not good." She ladled some soup into the bowl. "Hopefully, this'll help a little."

"I wasn't able to find any ginger root for the tea." He pulled out a scroll and opened. "But I found this. There's an herbal institute at the top of the hill. Maybe I can find some medicine."

"There's no need. I'm sure Sokka will be better by tomorrow." Katara set the bowl down and started coughing.

"Oh no," Aang said.

"I'm fine. I–" Her coughs continued and became more congested.

"That's how Sokka started yesterday." He furrowed his brow. "And now he thinks he's an earth-bender."

Sokka punched at the air and slurred, "Take that, you rock."

Exhaling, I stood and walked over to Aang. "Come on. Let's get to this herbalist before we all start hallucinating."

Aang turned and deflected his gaze. "Well, uh…."

"What?" I picked up the map and examined it.

"Nothing." He opened his staff into a glider. "Just hold onto my legs."

Lightning flashed outside.

I cringed. "How about not?"

"Yeah…." He closed his glider and sat it down. "You should stay behind, Tashi. It'll be faster if I run."

"That'll be no problem." Grinning, I sped off ahead of him.

It had been a while since I stretched my legs out like this. The wind blowing all around me, the sight of the buildings and trees whizzing by, I couldn't get enough of it. It was exhilarating. I heard footsteps speeding after me, and soon Aang was running beside me.

"Hey, you could've waited for me," he said.

"Time is of essence, Avatar." I picked up my pace. "Beat you there."

I heard him laugh, and the game was on. We raced through the countryside, not caring who could be watching, and made our way up the stairs to the herbalist residence. We passed through the arch gateway neck in neck and stopped in front of the greenhouse.

"Ha!" I pumped my fists in the air. "I win."

"You?" He folded his arms. "I was faster."

"Yeah, but my legs are longer, so I can cover more ground, shorty." I laughed.

He frowned before sighing and twiddling his fingers. "Listen, Tashi, about what happened in the cave…. You were right. I was selfish, and the whole world paid the price. But I won't make that mistake again. I'll fix this for everyone."

"That's good to hear," I said.

"And for you. I'm sorry for whatever happened to you in my absence, but I promise I won't let the Fire Nation to take you away like they did the rest of our people." He bowed. "As the last two air-benders, we have to survive this."

I smiled and bowed. "Thank you."

We entered the green house and found the herbalist. It was an old woman, who lived alone with her cat, and after what felt like forever, she told us the cure for Sokka and Katara's illness. We rushed back outside and made our way down to the valley swamp.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" I gagged. "I mean, sucking on frozen frogs, really?"

"It's not like we have much of a choice." Aang shrugged.

Two arrows landed at his feet. He tried to move, but his shoes were pinned down.

I gasped. "Are you okay?"

"It's fine." He pulled the arrows out. "They didn't puncture my feet."

"Who did…?" Taking out my whips, I turned around and saw more arrows heading our way.

"Stay behind me!" Aang rushed in front of me and bended an orb of air around us that deflected the arrows.

I narrowed my eyes toward the forest. "There's a bunch of archers in the trees. I think they're Fire Nation."

More arrows came at us, and we did our best to dodge them. Aang was having better luck than me, and one of the arrows grazed my arm. What kind of archers were these? Their precision was so good that it was impossible for me to find an opening to retaliate.

Aang grabbed my hand. "Come on. We have to get out of here."

"No arguments from me." I followed him to the edge of the cliff.

We leapt off the cliff, but the onslaught of arrows continued. I glanced back and saw that the archers had jumped right after us. The trees of the forest below grew closer, and latching my whip onto one of the branches, I made my way from tree to tree. Aang jumped and flipped his way through like a skilled acrobat, but I couldn't keep up with him.

"Aang, wait!" I jumped to the next branch and screamed when an arrow hit my shoulder.

I lost my balance and fell backwards. One of the archers jumped down toward me, and I punched a gust of air at him. He was knocked back into one of the trees and dropped to the ground. I tried to spin around to catch my fall, but my head collided with one of the branches. I hit the ground with a rough thud, and everything around me was blurry.

"Tashi! No!"

"Aang?" I mumbled out before I lost consciousness.

….

When I came to, it was the first time I felt true terror in four years. Metal walls surrounded me, and my hands and feet were in cuffs. The Fire Nation had captured me.

"Aang?" Tears formed in my eyes. "Aang!"

I hoped that he hadn't been captured too, but a nagging voice in the back of my head argued otherwise. He wouldn't have left me behind, and those archers had been relentless. I turned onto my back and cringed. The arrow had been removed, but my whole body was screaming from my fall.

_I have to get out of here._ I tried lifting myself onto my knees, as painful as it was, but I fell back against the wall behind me. "Aang, where are you?"

The latch to the steel door unlocked, and it creaked open, revealing….

My eyes widened. "No."

I knew that face. The face that had haunted me for four years. It was the fire-bender who attacked my village. He was dressed more official than I remember, and glancing over his shoulder, I didn't see anyone else behind him. Was this guy really that cocky to not have any assistance?

"Well, well, if it isn't the second air-bender," the man said.

I glared at him. "And who are you, sideburns?"

"I am Admiral Zhao." His tone lowered as he gave me a stern look. "And it would be in your best interests to temper your tongue."

"Zhao, huh?" I steadied my breathing, trying to keep calm. "At least now I have a name to put to the monster."

"Me? A monster? How can you say that with your pathetic form of bending? Your people deserved to die for your weakness." Stepping closer, he shut the door behind him. "You should consider yourself lucky that you survived our last encounter."

"Luck?" I scoffed. "I'm alive because I'm _strong_ , and no matter what you do to me, I'll always survive."

He grasped my chin, his fingers digging into my cheeks. "Is that a challenge?"

Zhao glanced me over, his gaze becoming hooded and lustful. He smirked and ran a calloused finger over my lips.

"To answer your question from four years ago." He ran a hand through my hair and chuckled. "No, you don't look like a hundred-year-old woman. But you have grown into a fine, young woman."

"Too young for you." I recoiled from him but held my glare. "Don't touch me."

"Why not? It's not like I haven't marked you already." He pulled back my collar and ran his fingers over the scars on the my neck.

I cringed before spitting in his face. "I said don't touch me!"

A second later, Zhao's hand smacked me across my face, and I collapsed on the hard metal. My cheek stung, making me want to cry, but I had to keep a level head. I would not show weakness to him.

"You're my prisoner, and I can do whatever I want with you!" He stood and glared at me. "And once I've had my fill, I'll slaughter you in front of the Avatar, so he can watch the very last hope for his people die."

_So Aang was captured too? Oh no._ I scowled at him. "You won't win."

"I already have." He smirked and made his way to the door.

I waited for Zhao to open it before taking a deep breath and knocking him into the wall across the hall. Rolling on my back, I raised my feet and propelled myself out of the cell. I collided into him before he could recover, and he was smashed into the wall again.

He was stunned but not unconscious, and I took what little time I bought to propel myself down the hall. I thanked the spirits I was fully clothed because having my skin rub against the metal floor at such a high speed wouldn't have been pleasant. I tried not to scream as I ended up sending myself down a flight of stairs. If I lived through this, I was definitely retaining some bruises.

I held my hands out in front of me and released a gust of air to catch my fall. I still thought it was strange that there were no guards nearby, but Zhao probably thought a weak girl like me wasn't worth the trouble in comparison to Aang.

_Bad judgement call there._ _Then again, they were also stupid enough to cuff my hands in front of me._ I searched the area. _There has to be somewhere I can hide._

I spotted the grating to a vent in the wall and smiled. I worm-crawled my way over to it and pulled on the bars. It was too secure, and without free movement, I couldn't gain enough leverage. Getting a firm grip on the bars, I took a deep breath and pushed myself backwards into the wall behind me. The force caused the grating snap off.

"The air-bender girl has escaped! Find her!"

_Crap._ I propelled myself back toward the open vent.

I slid in feet first, and I was able to pull the grating back in place behind me. Hearing footsteps approach, I let go of the bars and slid back out of view.

"Are you sure she went this way, sir?" a random soldier said.

I saw a pair of feet stand in front of the gate, and I scooted back even further into the shadow of the vent.

Zhao screamed in frustration. "Forget her for now. There's no way out of this fortress, and as long as we have the Avatar, that's all that matters."

I kept retreating back, not realizing the vent was leading to a drop, and I fell a few feet into what seemed to be an underground sewer line. I landed in a pool of shallow water, and I groaned as my shoulder collided with the metal floor underneath. After this was over, I was going to be more in need of an herbalist than Sokka and Katara.

My eyes widened while I shifted myself upright into a sitting position. _They don't know Aang and I are missing, and if they don't get some medicine…._

I heard cheering and stomping from above me. It sounded like soldiers, a lot of them, and looking ahead, I could see moonlight shining through a grating above.

_I must be outside the fortress, or at least the main part of it._ I sighed. _But what can I do? I can't fight that many soldiers by myself, let alone when I'm tied up. And Aang is still in there._

Hearing the sound of metal clanging, I froze. Quick yet cautious footsteps approached, and I gasped when my eyes fell upon a cloaked figure wearing a blue mask.


	8. The Boy With The Scar

“Nothing about you is typical.  
  
You got me all twisted and confused.”  
  
-Britney Spears

* * *

 I shoved my hands forward, knocking the figure backward with a blast of air. They grunted as they hit the metal wall behind them, and their mask flew off. I pushed myself to my feet and hobbled my way across the watery floor to get a better look at the figure.

It was a boy. He looked around my age, and from what I could see of his face, he had pale skin and a horrible scar that engulfed the circumference of his left eye. I could tell from the shape that he had been burned. A red flag went off in my mind at the thought of the scar, but I was too panicked to dwell on it.

"Not a step closer." My voice was low, and I kept my hands up.

The boy just stared at me with wide eyes. Well, his right eye was wide while the left was only halfway open, and both were molten gold.

 _Fire Nation._ My whole body trembled despite my attempts to suppress it.

However, something about this seemed off to me. If he really was Fire Nation, why wasn't he with the soldiers, whom were still cheering above us? Instead, he was sneaking around the sewers like he was a spy or a thief.

The boy blinked a few times before standing. "You… you're an air-bender."

"You catch on quick. Must've been top of the class." I narrowed my eyes. "Now, who are you?"

"None of your business." His tone was snippy, like he had something to hide, and he retrieved his mask. "How do you exist? The Avatar is the only air-bender left."

"Let's see…. Oh right, that's none of _your_ business." I gave him a smug grin and shrugged. "Guess we'll both remain mysteries to each other."

Securing his mask over his face, he scoffed and pushed past me. "Move. You're in my way."

I almost lost my balance and had to steady myself against the wall. The boy headed toward the vent I fell out of, and I glanced down at my cuffs. I couldn't stay trapped here forever, and this unexpected encounter was the only opportunity I was going to get.

"Wait, please." Using the wall for support, I shuffled myself toward him. "Look, I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but can you please help me?"

He was halfway up the ladder before he stopped and looked down at me. "And why should I help you?"

"Ah, come on, Handsome." Pouting, I gave him big bunny-puppy eyes and batted my lashes. "Surely you're not too busy to aid a poor, damsel in distress like myself?"

He flinched at my flattery and mumbled something in an irritated tone.

"Please. I'm with the Avatar. We both got captured, and they separated us." I furrowed my brow. "I have to rescue him."

The boy was silent for a moment before he slid back down the ladder. "You actually trust me?"

"No." I shook my head. "But if you wanted to kill or capture me, you would've done so already. So I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

He nodded and pulled out a pair of broad swords from the sheath on his back. "Hold out your hands and remain still."

 _Hmm. Risk getting my hands chopped off or be abandoned in the sewer?_ I did as the boy asked. "Okay, but if you cut me, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

He didn't respond and swung both of his swords down at my wrists. I stood still, mouth agape, and watched the blades slice through the metal cuffs without touching my skin. I checked my hands. No. There wasn't a scratch on them. Sitting down, I leaned back against my hands and lifted myself until my feet were accessible. He did the same trick again, and I smiled at my newfound freedom.

"Thank you." I stood. "You're really good with those."

"Just hurry up, so we can save the Avatar." He groaned and sheathed his swords. "You've already wasted enough of my time."

The boy climbed the ladder, and I quickly followed after him.

"Hang on, you're here is to rescue Aang?" I said.

"Yes." He groaned. "Now, be quiet, and don't slow me down."

I frowned at his rudeness. However, at this point, the only thing that mattered was rescuing Aang and returning to the others safe and sound, so I was willing to let it slide. This time. The boy removed the grating from the vent and poked his head out to see if it was safe. When it was, he climbed out and motioned for me to follow him.

"He should be at the top of this stupid tower." The boy ran for the stairs.

I followed, and reaching at my belt, I mentally cursed. My whips and knives were gone, and I knew I was never going to find them in this metal monstrosity. I could still fight without them, but they had sort of become my staple. I felt like I was missing a part of myself, you know?

I glared at the open door of my cell as we rushed by, and my blood boiled at the thought of Zhao. _At least I know his name now, but revenge will have to wait for another time._

We climbed staircase, after staircase, after staircase, but there were no soldiers anywhere.

"The majority of them must've gone outside for Zhao's little speech," the boy whispered.

"Yeah, well, don't let your guard down just yet." I held out my hands, ready to bend anyone that came our way. "And judging by your tone, I take it you have a personal gripe with the Admiral?"

"I thought I told you to be quiet?" he said.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

We reached the top of this tower of terror, and after sneaking down the hallway, we finally spotted a soldier. This one was loitering by himself, but we'd be stupid to think he didn't have any friends lurking close by.

I looked at his helmet and whispered, "Fire-bender."

"Nothing I can't handle." The boy pointed his finger down. "Stay here."

In any other circumstance, I would've protested, but I was still feeling exhausted from my awkward escape attempt, falling from a cliff, and having an arrow in my shoulder. The boy zipped around the corner, and while the soldier's back was still turned, he kicked the soldier's legs from underneath him. The soldier fell, and before he could retaliate, the boy stomped his face in.

I cringed. _Well, he definitely doesn't hold back._

I watched while the boy tied the unconscious soldier up and hung him from the ceiling as bait. He then tossed the soldier's helmet out into the next hallway before hiding on the ceiling himself. One by one, he lured more soldiers into the hallway and took them down like they were nothing.

I couldn't help but be a bit impressed. His form, the way he handled his swords, and even his stealth was too perfect. He had to have been trained for years, and I found myself becoming more and more curious about this mysterious boy's identity.

I saw him disappear around another corner with a bowl of water behind his back. There was a roar of fire, a loud splash, and then the thud of a body hitting the metal floor. I saw the boy return to my line of sight and motion for me to follow. I did so and waited for him to unlock the door with the stolen keys.

When the door opened, I smiled and rushed inside. "Aang!"

The twelve-year-old looked up with wide eyes. "Tashi!"

His cell was much bigger, and his arms and legs had been chained to two pillars that rested on either side of him. He struggled against them, but he couldn't get out on his own.

I looked to the boy. "Alright, you. Work your magic."

"Tashi, who's…?" Aang screamed as the boy charged at him with his swords.

He cut the chains from the pillars, allowing Aang to relax his limbs before slicing the cuffs off. Aang rubbed his wrists, and before he could say thank you, the boy had already run back to the door. He motioned for us to follow, and seeing Aang's bewildered expression, I nodded to him with a smile.

Aang caught up to me. "Who is that?"

"A friend. I think." I shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me his name."

"Are… are you okay?" His voice trembled a little. "Zhao told me that he… he told me…."

I furrowed my brow. "Told you what?"

"That he was gonna… was gonna–" His eyes watered, and he gulped. " _Hurt_ you."

 _Why that…._ My breath caught in my throat. _That monster. That disgusting creep._

Did Zhao really tell Aang that he was going to rape and kill me in front of him? Avatar or not, Aang's just a boy, and only the most vile of creatures would say something like that to a child. So much rage filled my body that I was ready to punch the next soldier who crossed our path. In fact, that's exactly what I was going to do, and hopefully it would be Zhao himself.

"No, I'm alright. Don't worry." I gave him a reassuring smile.

Aang nodded, and we continued following the boy out of the fortress. It wasn't long before we were back in the sewer, and we escaped into the outside yard through a grating in the ground. The yard was surrounded by a tall, stone wall, and there were watch towers posted on each corner. The boy gestured to a rope that he must've used to climb down the wall earlier, and we quickly made our way up.

To our luck, the sirens went off, and the soldiers spotted us halfway up the rope. One of the soldiers cut it, sending us falling back to the ground, but Aang cushioned the fall with an orb of air. The boy gestured toward the gates, and I raised an eyebrow. Why was he being so quiet all of sudden? He had no problem speaking before, but once we had found Aang, he refused to say a word.

"The Avatar and the other air-bender have escaped!" Zhao's voice echoed from above. "Close all the gates immediately!"

We rushed toward the gates, but the soldiers swarmed in from all sides. Aang air-bended at the ones closest to the gate, blowing them away, but the boy and I were caught by the rest. I dodged out of the way of a soldier's spear before air-punching him, and he flew back into the soldiers behind him. The next one came at me with a sword, and I kept dodging left and right until I was able to kick his legs from underneath him.

"Tashi!" Aang rushed over to us with a broken spear, and he blew away the surrounding soldiers. "Come on. We can jump over the wall."

I pointed to the boy. "But he's not an air-bender. How will he…?"

My question was answered when Aang used the broken spear to air-bend the boy on top of the wall. The boy started fighting the oncoming soldiers while we made our way up.

I air-punched one of the soldiers in the face before looking out at the rest of the fortress. "There's two more walls? You've gotta be kidding me."

"We can fly over." Aang held up his broken spear.

"But all three of us will be too heavy. Besides, I don't know how to fly like that." I gasped as a sword swiped mere inches in front of my face, and I dodged backward before kicking the soldier over the side of the wall. "Maybe we can just jump over like we did before?"

"Fair enough," he said.

I looked at the boy. "Hey, you! Over here!"

The boy finished off the two soldiers he was fighting before running over to me.

"Here." I turned away from him and crouched a little. "Climb onto my back, and I can jump us across to the next wall."

The boy sheathed his swords and did so, but I could tell from his rigid body language that he felt awkward about it. He was also fairly heavy, but not so much that I couldn't move.

"Let's go!" Aang jumped down.

I followed and ran behind him while he used the broken spear to air-swipe away any nearby soldiers. We hopped onto the top of the next wall and started fighting the oncoming soldiers. We defeated the first wave, but the soldiers in the next yard below started climbing up with bamboo ladders. Using a gust of air, I blasted one set of soldiers back to the ground and knocked their ladder from the wall. Aang and the boy did the same, and now all we had to do was reach the final wall to escape.

"Hurry!" I motioned to the boy.

Aang twirled the broken spear in his hand to carry himself across. The boy climbed onto my back again, and taking the deepest breath I could, I propelled us three quarters of the way across the yard. I buffered our fall, but before I could jump again, several streams of fire shot at us. Aang landed in front of us and deflected the attack with a giant orb air.

"Hold your fire!" Zhao stepped out into the open while the soldiers made way for him.

The boy climbed off of my back and unsheathed his swords. I hid behind both him and Aang, so the soldiers wouldn't single me out as a target. I glared at Zhao, wishing I could kill him here and now.

"The Avatar must be captured alive," Zhao said.

Upon hearing this, the boy held his swords around Aang's neck.

I gasped and put up my hands, ready to air-bend the boy if he hurt Aang. _Please tell me he's bluffing._

Zhao stared us down, an unsettling silence washing over the yard, but he didn't make a move. Whoever this boy was, Zhao was convinced that he would kill Aang if he or the other soldiers got too close.

"Open the gates," Zhao said.

One of the other officers looked at him. "What are you doing?"

Zhao glared at us. "Let them out. Now!"

The gates opened up behind us. I turned, making sure there weren't any surprises waiting outside, and slowly walked out. I stayed close to Aang and the boy in case it was a trick. We made it outside, and the gates shut. It was easy, too easy.

I looked at the boy. "Okay, you've made your point. Let go of Aang, so we can get out of here."

The boy didn't respond, and kept his hold on Aang.

"She's right. You can let go of me now," Aang said.

The boy remained silent, and he kept slowly guiding us back down the dirt road. I understood that he wanted to make sure we weren't pursued, but something didn't feel right about this. A second later, an arrow struck the boy's mask, and he was sent flying back onto the ground. His swords lay sprawled next to him, and his mask slipped off a little.

I narrowed my eyes at the wall. "It's those archers again. We have to get out of here."

Aang bended at the dirt road, creating a large cloud of dust that served as a cover. I picked up the boy's broad swords and handed them to Aang.

"Take these." Returning to the boy, I wrapped his arms around my shoulders and lifted him onto my back. "Let's go."

We rushed out of the area before the dust around us could settle and hid deep within the forest. We reached an area that seemed like a good resting spot for the time being, and even if it wasn't, my back was starting to hurt. Aang set up a patch of leaves for me to lay the boy down on, and I set his broad swords next to him. The arrow hadn't caused any damage other than a concussion, and I hoped it wasn't that bad.

"Do you think anyone followed us?" I said.

"Hopefully, not." Reaching for the boy's mask, Aang removed it and gasped. "Zuko?"

I shifted my gaze from the boy to Aang. "What?"

Aang looked at me. "That's the guy we told you about. The Prince of the Fire Nation."

At that very moment, I recalled Sokka's description of a boy with a scar and mentally slapped myself. _That can't…. We were rescued by the Prince of Fire Nation!_


	9. Ms. Fortunes

 “Strange surprise I can get used to.  
  
Unusual you.”  
  
-Britney Spears

* * *

 "The Prince of the Fire Nation? The Prince?" I threw my hands in the air. "Are you trying to tell me that this is same guy who's been following you from the South Pole? The same guy that's tried to capture you multiple times? And he just saved us? From his own people?"

Aang nodded. "I'm just as confused as you are."

I took him by the hand. "Come on. We have to get out of here before he wakes up."

"Wait." He slipped his hand out of my grip. "We should at least make sure he's okay, and to be honest, I'm kinda curious about why he helped us."

"It's just a minor concussion. He'll be fine." I folded my arms. "And do you really wanna risk him following us? We still need to get back to Katara and Sokka."

He shifted his gaze between Zuko and me before sighing and sitting on a tree root. "You know, this is what I hate most about being born a hundred years ago. I knew what the world was like in a time of peace, and I had friends from all over, even in the Fire Nation. If things were different…."

"But they're not." I put my hands on my hips. "The Fire Nation decided to terrorize the rest of the world, and while this guy might've saved us, we can't trust him. Now, let's get out of here before–"

I yelped as I saw two broad swords swipe toward me and stop right at my neck. I shivered at the sudden presence of the warm body behind me. Aang jumped to his feet, but the blades moved closer to my skin, stopping him from making a move.

"Going somewhere?" Zuko said.

"Leave her alone." Aang glared at him. "I'm the one you want."

"You think I'm falling for that again?" He stepped back, pulling me with him. "Both of you are coming with me. Your friend will serve as leverage, so you don't try to escape this time. And I'm sure my father would be pleased that I found another air-bender running around."

"Wait a sec? Aang and I were already captured, so you freed us just to capture us again?" I snorted. "What kind of stupid plan is that?"

"Silence, Peasant!" He tightened his grip around me. "Now, follow me, Avatar, and your friend will remain unharmed."

Zuko continued to retreat backward, and Aang met my gaze with teary eyes. I could tell he didn't know what to do, but I did. I recalled the way the prince fought back at the fortress. While he was skilled fighter, he was no killer, and despite dealing with Aang, he was clearly still clueless on how air-benders worked.

I threw a wink at Aang before taking a deep breath and propelling myself and Zuko backward into a tree. He grunted, the collision knocking the wind out of him. His swords dropped from his hands, and he slumped down to the ground. I stood and examined him. He wasn't unconscious, but he was too out of breath to fire-bend. Seeing him reach for one of his swords, I stepped on his hand with my left foot and pressed my right foot on his chest.

"Get… off… me." He heaved. "Peasant!"

"So, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation? Hmph. Can't say I'm impressed. But since the mystery is over, I guess I should properly introduce myself." Stepping off of him, I grinned and bowed. "I am Tashi, loyal citizen of the Earth Kingdom and great-granddaughter of Priestess Ming, the Air Nomad your pathetic family failed to kill."

Zuko must've caught his breath, for when I looked up, I saw his fist shooting toward me. I dodged out of the way of the fire blast and air-kicked him across the head. He collapsed on the ground, and I sped away toward Aang.

"Did you really need to antagonize him?" Aang ran alongside me.

"The jerk deserved it." I scoffed. "Now let's get back to the others before we get into anymore trouble."

Furrowing his brow, he glanced back in Zuko's direction and sighed. "Yeah."

We retrieved the frozen frogs from the lake and returned to the temple ruins. I couldn't help but gape at the giant horde of junk that I'm pretty sure wasn't there before. Aang didn't seem to notice, for he gave Sokka and Katara their frogs without a word and sat in a corner by himself. I tried not to gag as I watched the Water Tribe siblings suck on their _medicine_. They must've been really out of it to be that oblivious.

I walked over to Aang, who was now laying on the floor and staring out at the sky. "Are you okay?"

"It's just frustrating how much everything has changed. I've tried my best to get used to it, but–" he said.

"Well, that's just the way it is." I sat beside him. "While it's good to remember who you are and learn from your mistakes, you have to live for today. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself mad like my great-grandmother."

He tilted his head to look at me. "What happened to her?"

"One minute, she was happy with the other Air Nomads, and the next, she was the sole survivor in a world where she was no longer welcome." I huddled my knees close to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. "She loss everything, and then had to spend the rest of her life in hiding. My grandfather said that even though she tried her best to move forward and take care of him, he could tell that she was numb on the inside. When he was seventeen, she took her own life."

Aang's eyes widened.

"After losing his mother so tragically and then his own daughter much too soon, my grandfather looked at me and knew that I couldn't end up the same way. I had to be stronger than they ever were." I looked toward the clouds. "Don't get me wrong. Sometimes, I find myself mourning the past and pondering 'what ifs', but at the end of the day, I remind myself to stay focused on the now."

He nodded. "Monk Gyatso used to say, "We can't focus on what was but what is. Otherwise, you become attached to things you can't change and blind yourself to the possibilities of the future."

"Exactly." I smiled. "Maybe someday the world can be a different place, maybe even closer to the one you left behind, but right now, it's dangerous and complicated. You have to keep your wits about you."

"I know. I just thought that maybe…." Aang shook his head. "Never mind. You're right. Thanks, Tashi."

"No problem." I stood. "Now, get some rest. Zhao and that prince could still be sniffing around for us, and we need to be ready to move as soon as possible."

I retrieved my things and started tending to my shoulder. From what I could see, the arrow had struck near my shoulder-blade, so there was only some muscle damage. I cleaned it, spread some medicine over it, and wrapped it up with a cloth. I lay down, only just realizing how exhausted I was. I wanted to write off what happened last night as some crazy dream, but little did I know, it was only the beginning of this new chapter of my life.

….

It was two days later, and we were on our way to the mysterious village of Aunt Wu. Katara, Aang, and I were walking underneath an umbrella that a traveller from the village had given us while Sokka sulked in rain.

Sokka scoffed. "Predicting rain after the sky's been gray all day. Really amazing."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Just admit you might be wrong, and you can come under the umbrella."

"But Sokka has a point. One lucky guess doesn't prove anything, and besides, is it really possible for someone to know the future?" I said.

"See." Sokka folded his arms. "At least Tashi sees some reason."

Katara frowned at me. "How can you not believe it's true? You heard what the villager said."

I held up my hands and backed out from under the umbrella. "I'm just saying it seems unlikely, but it could be true. I don't know. I'm on the fence with this one."

"There's nothing to be confused about. This is definitely a hoax. In fact, I'll make a prediction right now." Sokka stopped walking. "It's going to keep drizzling."

The second he said that, the rain cleared, and the sun started peaking through the clouds.

Aang smiled. "Not everyone has the gift, Sokka."

He and Katara continued on, and I walked alongside Sokka, who went back to sulking.

"Maybe you should keep an open mind? It's not that big of a deal," I said.

"Because it's stupid. That's why." He huffed.

I sighed. "Fine, whatever. You're just being grumpy because you haven't eaten yet."

"I would've if Aang hadn't used my fishing line to make that necklace," he said.

"Well, cheer up." I smiled. "We're on our way to a village, so we'll have a variety of food to eat. Not to mention stock up on a few things."

His stomach let out a loud growl. "Yeah, that'd be nice, but I was kinda looking forward to you making something."

I laughed. "You like my cooking that much, do you?"

"Yeah, if you knew some traditional Water-tribe dishes, I think you'd be perfect." Sokka smiled at me before his eyes widened a little, and he coughed while scratching the back of his head. "I mean your food. Your food would be perfect."

We reached the village, and I was amazed at how beautiful it looked. The buildings rested peacefully in the midst of the forest, and in the distance was a snow-capped mountain. It made my heart sink at the thought of the Fire Nation finding this village and destroying it. Katara asked for directions, and we were guided toward the fanciest building in the village. A man dressed in black robes bowed and gestured to the circular, red door.

"Aunt Wu is expecting you." He opened the door for us.

"Really?" Katara's eyes lit up like a little kid getting a present for their birthday.

"Yes, she knows all." The man nodded. "Right, this way, and be sure to remove your shoes."

We did as he asked before heading inside to what appeared to be a lobby. The place was well decorated with fancy cushions, lanterns and screens, and we saw a little girl, who couldn't be older than eleven or twelve, walk over to us. She wore a pink and lavender dress, and her hair had been tied into two, giant braids that stuck up like antlers.

She bowed. "My name is Meng, and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant. If the four of you would take a seat over here–"

Katara sat on the farthest cushion on the left, Aang sat next to her, I next to him while Momo curled onto my lap, and Sokka sat on the farthest right cushion with a scowl on his face.

"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean-curd puffs?" Meng seemed to be addressing Aang more than the rest us, and she stood in front of him with a smile. "So what's your name?"

"Aang," he said.

"That rhymes with Meng." She giggled. "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"

Aang glanced the other way. "I guess."

"Don't be modest." Sokka chuckled and gestured with his hands. "They're _huge_."

Aang frowned and covered up his ears while Meng continued to smile at him.

"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you." She bowed. "Very nice."

"Likewise," he said.

Once Meng was gone, I laughed and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that girl likes you."

"What?" His eyes widened a little, and a small blush crept its way onto his cheeks.

Sokka grinned. "Well, he is the Avatar."

Katara folded her arms and snickered. "You should've seen him when we were on Kyoshi Island. The girls were fawning over him left and right, and he pretty much let the attention go to his head."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the _ladies' man_ type, Aang."

Aang's blush deepened and tried to hide his face under his tunic.

Sokka reclined back against his hands. "I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense."

"Come on, Sokka." Katara sighed. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some incite into your future?"

He shrugged. "It'd be nice to have some bean-curd puffs."

I shook my head. "Give it up, Katara. You're not gonna convince him."

Meng returned with a tray of tea and puffs, and she almost tripped handing them to Aang. She blushed and quickly fled from the room.

"Finally." Sokka took the tray and started wolfing down the puffs.

"Hey, food hog-monkey, trying saving some for the rest of us?" I said.

"By all means, have one." He held up tray for me. "They're delicious."

"Thank you." I tried one of the puffs and smiled. "You're right."

"Welcome, young travelers." A middle-aged woman in elegant gold and red robes walked into the lobby and stood before us. "Now, who's next? Don't be shy."

Sokka crossed his arms and looked away, Aang focused his attention on the floor, and I played with one of my ponytails.

"I guess that's me." Katara stood and followed Aunt Wu into another part of the building.

Aang stared at the hallway they disappeared into. "So… what do you guys think they're talking about back there?"

"Boring stuff." Sokka took a sip of tea. "Love, who she's gonna marry, and how many babies she's gonna have."

"Yeah, dumb stuff like that…." Aang said.

"Could be something worse." I cringed. "Like death."

"Death?" His eyes widened.

"Well, it's a possibility. Like it or not." I twirled the end of my ponytail around my finger. "This is why I'm unsure about this prediction stuff. What if she tells us something we'd be better off not knowing?"

"That's assuming anything she tells us is true." Sokka ate another puff. "And it's not."

"Yeah, well, I gotta find a bathroom." Aang jumped up and rushed into the hallway.

I narrowed my eyes at his sudden strange behavior but shrugged it off. I saw Momo trying to steal the tray from Sokka and picked up the lemur.

"No, Momo. You have to share." I took some of the puffs and fed them to him. "There you go."

Sokka cleared his throat. "So, Tashi–"

When he didn't continue his sentence, I blinked. "So… Sokka?"

"Uh…?" There was a light blush on his cheeks, and he straightened his posture. "Um. Well, since we're like you know… alone for once… I… uh…. I don't think you ever mentioned how old you were?"

"I'm sixteen, but I'll be turning seventeen by the end of winter," I said.

"Oh." He deepened his voice. "Me too, but you could probably already tell."

Sokka started making muscles and patted what little bicep he had.

"Uh huh. I could've sworn Katara said you were fifteen." I smirked. "But nice try, _Junior_."

"Junior!" He gasped. "It's only about a year difference!"

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. "In my experience with you boys, a year makes all the difference."

He swiped his hands in a crossing motion. "Okay, age thing aside, my point is you are well… you know… you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who else would I be?"

"You know what I mean." He lifted himself onto his knees. "You're pretty, and can cook really, really, really…."

His mouth started watering, his eyes glazing over, and I clapped my hands in front of his face to snap him out of it.

"Really good. And you're a decent fighter." He smiled. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe we could–"

Aang marched back into the lobby with a bright smile on his face. "I'm back."

Sokka returned to his spot and whispered, "We'll talk later."

He reached for the tray only to realize that Momo had devoured the rest of the puffs. The conversation was unexpected, and I wasn't sure what to think. Actually, scratch that, I was. I had no interest in Sokka at all, and his generic checklist for me didn't sway my opinion.

Aunt Wu returned with Katara and looked to the rest of us. "Who's next?"

Sokka stood up to my surprise. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Your future is full of struggle and anguish." Aunt Wu gave him a plain stare. "Most of it self-inflicted."

"But you didn't read my palms or anything," he said.

"I don't have to." A small smile curved on her lips. "It's written all over your face."

He narrowed his eyes at her and picked something from his teeth.

Laughing, I stood up. "Then I guess I'm next."

"Perfect." Aunt Wu smiled. "Come with me."

I followed her across the hall into the next room. It was mostly dark except for the fire pit in the center. Aunt Wu guided me to the cushions next to the pit, and we sat down.

"So how does this work?" I said.

"Quite simple. Just give me your hand, dear." Aunt Wu held out her hands.

I did as she asked, and she turned my hand over to examine my palm.

"Oh my." She furrowed her brow. "You have suffered through much for one so young. Despite your trials, you have persevered, but your strength has become a mask for the pain that has encaged your heart."

I blinked. "What?"

Aunt Wu met my gaze. "All of your life you've longed for one thing, but you will never achieve it so long as your heart remains caged."

_The one thing I longed for?_ I pulled my hand back and looked at it. "How do I uncage it?"

She gestured to the bowl of bones next to us. "Pick one of these bones and toss it into the fire. I'll read the bone cracks to determine your destiny."

I picked one of the bones and dropped it into the fire pit. The flames started eating away at it, and a long crack spread through the bone from end to end.

"Interesting." Aunt Wu put a hand to her forehead. "To achieve what you desire, you must confront the past that has returned to haunt you, reconcile a broken bond, and open your heart to the forbidden. Only then will the cage around you be lifted."

"That's–" I shifted my gaze from the flames to her and gave an awkward chuckle. "Is that all? No marriage? I don't end up ridiculously rich or something?"

"Air is the element of freedom, dear." She smiled. "Nothing else will matter without it."

_Okay, I'm officially creeped out._ I bowed. "Thank you, Aunt Wu."

"Of course, dear." She stood and led me back to the lobby.

I returned to my spot and sat down while Aang left to visit with Aunt Wu.

Katara smiled. "So how did your prediction go?"

"I'm gonna side with Sokka on this one." I rested my elbows on my knees and leaned my face against my hands. "She's a hack."


	10. Out of Place

 “I’m messed up.  
  
I’m black and blue.  
  
I’ve been through so much abuse.”  
  
-Kehlani

* * *

 We exited Aunt Wu's residence. Aang and Katara were all smiles, Sokka was sulking, and I couldn't shake my prediction from my mind. It was too personal to be completely fake, but it was also so outrageous that it scared me.

_Confronting my past, reconciling a broken bond, and opening my heart to the forbidden?_ I furrowed my brow. _What does any of that mean? No. I'm just gonna pretend that I never talked to Aunt Wu._

Sokka folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Katara and Aang. "Why is Tashi the only one who understands this is nothing but a hoax? Can't you two see reason?"

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sokka, calm down. If Katara and Aang want to humor themselves with this fortune-telling stuff, let them. It's not harming anyone."

"Sure it is. Now they're gonna base everything they do off of what some crazy lady told them," he said.

Katara placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at her brother. "Well, according to Aunt Wu, things are going to turn out very well for me."

Aang smiled. "They sure are."

"What did she say?" Katara said.

"Some stuff." He shrugged. "You'll find out."

Katara grinned. "Besides, Sokka, you're just grumpy because you're gonna make yourself unhappy your whole life."

"My life will be calm and happy and joyful." Sokka kicked a random pebble, and it bounced on a sign before hitting him in the back of the head. "That doesn't prove anything."

I saw Aang glance at Katara and blush. After traveling with the group for a while, I started to notice that he had a crush on her. Although, it didn't seem like the feelings was mutual. Either way, it was adorable, and I couldn't help but think back to when I first fell for Jet. It had been such a sweet and innocent time.

I shook the thoughts from my head. "So we've had our fortunes told. Let's say we stock up on supplies and head out?"

"Come on. We can stay a little while longer, can't we?" Katara pointed to the group of villagers that were gathering in the center of the square. "Let's see what their up to."

Aang and Katara rushed ahead while Sokka grumbled under his breath. I sighed and followed them.

Katara stopped beside some of the villagers and followed their line of site. "What's with the sky?"

The male villager we had bumped into in the forest turned around. "We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds. To predict the fate of the whole village."

Aang pointed up at the sky. "That cloud kinda looks like a fluffy bunny."

"You better hope that's not a bunny. A fluffy bunny cloud predicts doom and destruction," the male villager said.

Sokka scoffed. "Do you even hear yourself?"

"The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt," one of the female villagers said.

The male villager nodded. "We used to have a tradition once a year of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves, but ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."

Sokka stared at the villagers. "I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy old woman's superstition."

I took Sokka by the hand and guided him away from the crowd. "Just let it go. You're making a scene."

He groaned. "But this is so ridiculous. How can they…?"

I put my finger to his lips, silencing him. "Look, I think these villagers are silly too, but they can do whatever they want. And last I checked, we have bigger problems to worry about, so will you please relax before you get us kicked out?"

Sokka was quiet for a few minutes before slowly nodding.

"Good." I removed my finger. "Now follow me."

"Where are we going?" he said.

"Just somewhere private." I gave him a half-lidded look and brushed my hand against his cheek. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"I did?" He blinked before recalling our previous conversation. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Sure."

I led Sokka behind some buildings where we could be carefully hidden under the shadows. Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall and gave him a coquettish smile.

"So you like me, do you?" I said.

"Well… yeah." Sokka pointed at me and then himself. "You and me. We could be a thing, right?"

_He really doesn't know what he's doing._ I pushed myself off of the wall and stepped closer. "Unfortunately, no."

He gasped. "What? Why not?"

"Listen, Sokka, you're nice and everything, but after what happened with Jet, I'm just not ready for a new relationship." I sighed. "I'm glad to have him out of my life, but our relationship wasn't some immature tryst. We built a whole life together for four years, and the way it all fell apart still hurts."

"But I'm nothing like him. I'd never hurt you like that," Sokka said.

"I know you wouldn't. But you're also not really my type." I shrugged. "If I do pursue a relationship again, it would have to be with someone much more… _weathered_."

He raised an eyebrow. "Weathered?"

I chuckled. "Jet didn't only have moves on the battlefield if you catch my drift?"

Sokka blinked a few times, the gears in his mind spinning. When the realization hit him, his eyes slowly widened, and his face turned red.

"Yeah, well, I… I got moves." He grinned and leaned against the wall with one hand. "I've had the ladies chasing after me since I left home."

"Really?" I batted my eyelashes. "Then you'd be capable of doing me a few favors?"

"Favors?" he said, his voice cracking a little.

Smirking, I stepped closer and cornered Sokka against the wall. I leaned over him, my hands pressed on the wall on either side of his head. I couldn't help but laugh at how his composure weakened at my gesture. It was so obvious that he had no experience, and yet he was so desperate to prove how manly he was.

"War can be so tense, and while I have no interest in a relationship, having someone around to relieve my stress would be nice." I leaned my face closer to his. "Surely, you'd understand if you're as skilled as you say."

At this point, Sokka could only stammer, and shaking my head, I pulled away from him.

"See this is what I mean. You're too much of a darling, Sokka." I pinched his cheek. "But don't worry. I'm sure you'll make a lucky girl very happy someday. In meantime, let's focus less on romance and more on saving the world."

Rubbing his face, he finally snapped back to reality. "Fa… fair enough."

Still flustered, he rushed out of our hiding spot. I chuckled to myself before stepping out after him. I heard Aunt Wu announce that village wasn't going to be destroyed by the volcano and the cheers that erupted from the villagers.

I made my way over to Appa and sat down. "Hey, boy."

I petted his fur, and he gave a low growl at me in response. We really should be moving on in our journey, but the others were too distracted. Sokka returned to obsessively persuading the villagers why fortune-telling was wrong, Katara returned to Aunt Wu's home for more predictions, and Aang…. Well, he was in his usually chipper mood, and he was now talking to Sokka.

"How long will we have to stay here?" I looked up at the sky.

This village was a waste of time. Last I checked, we were on a deadline, and the Fire Nation was without a doubt still trailing us. Although, now that I thought about it, we hadn't seen Zhao or Zuko since that incident at the fortress, but that didn't mean they're weren't lurking out there somewhere.

One part of me almost wanted to let them find us. It'd be the last thing either of them ever did, or, at the very least, the last thing Zhao ever did. I was still on the fence about the prince. While he was the enemy, he hadn't done enough to justify me killing him outright, and his actions from that night still baffled me.

_Why did he help me in the sewer?_ I furrowed my brow while I loaded the supplies onto Appa's saddle. _I was at his mercy. He could've left me there until he returned with Aang._

Then again, Zuko's entire rescue attempt was even more strange. He had claimed that he took us from Zhao just to capture us himself. Well, capture Aang since I was an unexpected bump in the prince's plan.

_But Zuko and Zhao are on the same side. And a prince would be ranked above an admiral, right?_ _Zuko could've just ordered for us to be given into his custody._ I bit my lip. _Something's really off._

Either way, our exchange in the sewers informed me that Zuko had some sense of reason, and I planned to fully exploit that weakness for all it was worth. Hearing the door to Aunt Wu's residence open, I looked up and saw her and Katara step outside.

"And you'll be fine so long as you've got a scarf." Aunt Wu shoved Katara outside.

Katara quickly turned around. "But just one more thing."

Aunt Wu gave her an aggravated look but sighed. "Alright, what is it?"

"Should I have a mango or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?" Katara said.

"Papaya!" Aunt Wu slammed the door in her face.

"Aw. I hate papaya." Katara kicked the ground.

I stood up and walked over to her. "Uh, Katara. Don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?"

"What?" She looked at me. "I just want to know about my future. Aunt Wu told me so many amazing things."

"Yeah, but you seem like you're becoming addicted to this. And besides, why would you want to know every single detail about your life? Wouldn't that be kind of boring?" I said.

"It's not boring. It's knowledge. By knowing about my future, I can be prepared for everything. The good and the bad." She frowned. "Sokka's rubbing off on you."

Katara wandered over to one of the produce stands.

"No, he isn't." I followed after her. "I'm just trying to be level-headed about this. This prediction stuff is fine in theory, but you shouldn't let it run your life. I mean, look at you, you don't like papaya, but you're buying it only because Aunt Wu told you to."

"Because I was going to anyway. That's what Aunt Wu predicted," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "So if Aunt Wu told you that tomorrow you were gonna jump off a cliff and die, would you just accept your fate and do it?"

"What?" Katara stammered. "That's ridiculous."

I groaned and put a hand to my forehead. "Listen, if you want to do whatever Aunt Wu told you fine, but we're supposed to be going to be North Pole. But all you and Sokka wanna do is obsess over this fortune-telling stuff. Can we please pack up and move on already?"

"We'll leave once we're ready. I still have some things I want to ask Aunt Wu, and why are you in such a hurry anyway?" Katara narrowed her eyes. "Wait…. What did she tell you?"

"Nothing." I folded my arms. "Just some stupid stuff that I'm not going to listen to anyway."

She gave me a knowing look and pointed in my face. "Ah ha. I knew it. Aunt Wu told you something you didn't like. That's why you're being so negative about this."

"I'm not being negative." I threw my arms in the air. "You know what, fine. Let's waste our time at this stupid village because you'd rather focus on what you should eat for breakfast than, you know? Saving the world?"

"What? We're just taking a little break. It's not that big of a deal," Katara said.

I returned to Appa and sat down.

Katara followed me. "Tashi, come on. What did Aunt Wu say to upset you so much?"

I sighed. "Something about confronting my past, reconciling a broken bond, and opening my heart to the forbidden. I don't understand what any of it means."

She furrowed her brow and sat beside me. "Was that all she said?"

I shook my head. "She mentioned that there was one thing that I wanted all of my life, but I would never get so long as I remain caged."

"And what is it that you want?" Katara said.

"I…." I closed my eyes.

It seemed like every time I knew what my destiny was it changed direction like the wind. One minute I thought I was going to be a normal village girl. I'd be married off, have a bunch of children, and spend the rest of my life taking care of my family until I die. Then Zhao burned down my village. Then I thought it was to be a warrior. I would fight the Fire Nation alongside Jet and the other Freedom Fighters until our dying breaths. However, Jet turned out to be a horrible boyfriend.

Now I'm traveling with the Avatar on a mission to save the world, but was that my destiny? My place in this group was a strange one. Even though Aang, Katara, and Sokka had been affected by the war, they each still carried an air of innocence that had died in me a long time ago.

To be honest, it was difficult to get used to. Aang was goofy and irresponsible, Katara was idealistic to the point of being naive, and Sokka was too eager to be mature without the experience to back it up. I hated to admit it, but I saw all three of them as children that needed babysitting.

Not to say that they didn't have their positive traits. Aang was a well of wisdom when it came to Air Nomad culture, and he was a skilled fighter. Katara had a lot of heart, and Sokka was very clever. However, I was used to the sternness of my grandfather and strictness of my grandmother to ensure that I would survive without them, and the vindictive aura that overwhelmed the Freedom Fighters. It was a little heartbreaking that this journey would eventually kill the childlike light that Aang, Katara, and Sokka carried.

_It happens to the best of us unfortunately._ I sighed. "I don't know anymore."

"Then maybe that's what Aunt Wu's prediction is about?" Katara smiled. "You need to do these things in order figure out your destiny."

"But how I can follow what she said if I don't even know what she meant?"

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe it'll come to you with time. You just need to trust in her words."

"Sorry, Katara, but I'm not basing my life off of what some random woman said to me." I reclined back and closed my eyes. "Let me know when the rest of you are ready to head out."

I heard Katara groan and leave my side.

_"You have suffered through much for one so young. Despite your trials, you have persevered, but your strength has become a mask for the pain that has encaged your heart."_

I knitted my brow. _It's not like I have a choice._ _So long as the world is at war, I have to be strong. I have to survive._


	11. Once Bitten

“I’m good on sweet innocence.  
  
I want someone with secrets that nobody knows.”  
  
-Kehlani

* * *

 A few more days passed, and we were back to camping out in the middle of the forest. I couldn't complain. After the craziness of rescuing Aunt Wu's village from a raging volcano, it was nice having some peace and quiet with just the six of us.

Aang watched me closely. "Now. Hold your palms open. It's all about circular movement, and relax, Tashi. Your stance is still too rigid."

"I'm trying." I did my best to copy the movements he had demonstrated as I weaved myself in a figure-eight across the ground.

He walked over to me and adjusted my stance. "You need to be flexible like air itself and ready to change direction at a moments notice. Stop rooting your feet to the ground. Be light on your toes."

"Okay." I adjusted my balance to the balls of my feet.

"Not that light. You'll throw your balance off," he said.

I adjusted my stance against, so that my feet were on the ground, but there was more of a bounce in my step.

"Good. Keep practicing these movements for now." Aang smiled. "When we reach the Northern Air Temple, I'll be able to show you all sorts of stuff about Air Nomad culture. You'll love it."

I simply nodded, trying to keep my focus.

Sokka walked over to us. "Enough training, you two. We should be getting a move on."

"Already?" Aang said.

"We've already wasted enough of the morning, and we still have a lot of ground to cover before we reach the North Pole." Sokka finished packing his things.

"Sokka's right." I dropped my stance and moved to help pack.

Once we were done, we continued our travel on foot. Sokka emphasized on only traveling on Appa when necessary because the bison was too easily recognizable. Smart strategy even though it slowed down our progress.

I walked beside Aang. "So what were the Air Temples like?"

He beamed up at me. "There's four. The Monks lived at the Southern and Northern temples while the Priestesses lived at the Western and Eastern."

"Why so segregated?" I said.

"Less distraction, so that one could maintain a pure mind, body and soul. Air Nomads focus on living a life of peace and finding spiritual enlightenment." He looked up at the sky. "A true master is capable of detaching themselves from earthly tethers."

I gave an awkward laugh. "So no one could be married? Did you not have parents?"

"My memory of them is very vague, but no, I wasn't raised by them. We were raised as a group, and eventually I began mentoring under Monk Gyatso," he said.

Aang's gaze became distant.

"Listen, Aang. There's something I've been mulling over since you first started training me." I sighed. "I know how much it means to you to have found another air-bender. However, you need to understand that I'll never be a true Air Nomad."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Sokka glanced back at us. "Yeah, you're an air-bender. That would make you an Air Nomad."

"Not exactly. This might be hard for the three of you to understand, but as I've said before, I'm of Earth Kingdom and Air Nomad descent." I folded my arms. "I'm a half-breed, or whatever you wanna call it."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Katara said.

"I know." I returned my attention to Aang. "I'm proud of both of my heritages, which means that I won't be able to follow every rule of Nomad culture. I'm pretty sure I've broken a few already."

"So what are you saying? That you don't want to learn?" Aang said.

"I do, but I need you to understand that I'm not gonna agree with or follow everything you teach me." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "For instance, you said that Air Nomads are supposed to find all life precious, which is why you don't eat meat."

He raised an eyebrow. "But you said you were fine with that."

"I am, but–" I frowned. "I've killed _people_ before."

He gasped. "What?"

"It happened during my early days with the Freedom Fighters. I had gotten trapped by one of the soldiers, and the others couldn't help me. I didn't know what to do." I dropped my hand from Aang's shoulder. "The soldier had disarmed me and pinned me down, and I didn't really know how to fight yet. I was terrified, and I threw my hand toward his chest. Then a gust of air flew from his mouth. I hadn't realized what I had done until he collapsed and stopped moving."

"But that wasn't your fault. It was just an accident," Aang said.

"Yeah, well that accident taught me a lesson that has continued to save my life as well as the lives of the others since then." I gave him a firm look. "My point is that I'm not against killing under the conditions of war."

Aang was silent for a moment before sighing. "Look, what's in the past is in the past. I'm not gonna hold it against you, but now's your chance to start anew. Violence, and especially killing, doesn't have to be the answer. Once I teach you more about Air Nomad philosophy, you'll understand that there are other ways to resolve your problems."

"Trust me. I long for the day I no longer have to fight." I forced a smile. _Until then, I don't have a choice. Aang doesn't understand how sudden and crucial that kind of decision is._

We continued walking until we reached a hill. Aang rushed down and pulled a weapon out from one of the bushes.

"Hey, look. A sword made out of a whale's tooth." He held it up for the rest of us to see.

"Let me see that." Sokka examined the weapon before smiling. "This is a Water Tribe weapon. See if you can find anything else."

Katara walked over to Aang. "Did someone lose something?"

"No. We found something." He continued digging through the bushes.

Sokka picked up a broken spear. "It's burned."

I noticed a nearby tree that was covered in slashes and scorch marks. "There must've been a big fight."

"Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of fire-benders. The fire-benders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill." Sokka followed the trail.

We chased after him until we reached the shore.

"So then what happened?" Aang said.

Sokka looked around and slumped his shoulders. "I don't know. The trail ends here."

Katara pointed ahead. "Wait. Look."

Resting at the corner of the beach was a medium sized boat. It looked a little worn from travel, but seemed in good condition for the most part.

Sokka rushed over to the boat and examined it. "It's one of our boats."

"Is this dad's boat?" Katara said.

"No, but it's from his fleet." Sokka smiled. "Dad was here."

"So is your tribe nearby?" I said.

He furrowed his brow. "I don't know."

"Well, if this boat was left here, someone must be nearby." Katara stared at the boat, her eyes watering a little.

I looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just…." She hugged her arms around herself. "I hope our dad and the others are alright. It's been so long."

I saw her shake a little, and I enveloped her in a hug. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Let's camp out here." Sokka set his bag down. "Just in case anyone comes back."

"For how long?" Aang said.

Sokka shifted his gaze between the boat and us. "We'll give it a day. If we don't see anyone after that, then we'll move on."

We set up camp next to the boat. Since this was going to take a while, Aang and I continued training until dusk.

Aang sat beside me while I slipped under my sleeping bag. "So what do you think about when you meditate?"

I lay on my side. "Why?"

"Well, I just want to make sure that you're doing it correctly. Nomads connect to the air and their…." he said.

"Their inner chi. I know. My grandfather drilled it into me since I was little." I sighed. "Although, I admit that I use meditation to keep myself level-headed and focused most of the time. I tend to think about happier memories more than simply clearing my head."

"When we reach the Northern Air Temple, we'll work on that." Aang folded his arms. "Your bending is still very stilted. If you can achieve better mental clarity, I think you'll have a less difficult time."

I shrugged. "Worth a shot."

Sokka stood up. "Who's there?"

I looked in the direction Sokka was and squinted my eyes at the figure approaching from the darkness. It was a man, and as he walked closer, I saw that he was dressed like a Water Tribe member.

"Sokka?" the man said.

"Bato?" Sokka's eyes widened.

Aang furrowed his brow. "Who the what now?"

"Bato!" Katara smiled and sat up.

Sokka and Katara rushed over to the man and hugged him. This must've been one of the men from their tribe. Aang quickly stood and rushed over to the group.

"Sokka. Katara. It's so good to see you two. You've grown so much," Bato said.

Aang bowed. "Hi, I'm Aang, and this is…."

Sokka stepped back. "Where's dad?"

Katara nodded. "Is he here?"

"No. He and the other Water Tribe members should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now."

A winter breeze swept over the shore, causing the three Water Tribe members to shiver.

"This is no place for a reunion." Bato gestured for us to follow him. "Please come with me."

We gathered our things, and Bato lead us to an abby where we could have proper shelter. The Nuns welcomed us, and we joined Bato in the room that was set up for him. His room was decorated with animal pelts and in the center was a pot boiling over the small fire pit.

"Bato, it looks like home." Katara stepped inside.

Sokka followed her. "Everything's here. Even the pelts."

Aang eyed the pelts while he cuddled Momo close to him. "Yeah, nothing's cozier than dead animal skins."

I nudged him in the shoulder before sitting down. "Oh, lighten up, Aang. It's actually quite comfortable."

He frowned. "But Air Nomads don't…."

"What did I already tell you?" I sighed.

Sokka and Katara sat next to the fire pit.

"No way." Katara removed the lid from the pot. "Stewed sea prunes?"

"Dad could eat a whole barrel of these things," Sokka said.

Bato sat at the head of the group. "Help yourself."

Katara ladled out the stew into several small bowls and handed them out. I tasted a spoonful, and it was… interesting. It had a tartness to it that I wasn't used to, but something was better than nothing. Aang didn't seem to agree, for he quick discarded his bowl after tasting it. I settled down against the pelts, exhaustion finally coming over me. I let Katara and Sokka's conversation with Bato lull me to sleep, and within a few minutes, I was out.

….

I took a few more deep breaths and finished my meditation for the day. I tried to take Aang's advice on focusing more on my chi, and the way the air flowed throughout my body. It helped that this abby was so tranquil, but my mind couldn't help but linger on old memories.

I stood and began stretching. _I can't help it even though Aang's right. My memories are what keep me focused, but thinking about the past also creates stress throughout my body, which creates unbalances in my chi. Maybe visiting one of the temples is exactly what I need. It's probably more atmospheric._

"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean…."

Hearing Aang's distressed voice, I looked up and saw him, Sokka, Katara, and Bato return.

I walked over to them. "I'm guessing the ice-dodging didn't work out so well?"

Katara looked at me. "That went great, but–"

"But Katara and I are leaving to see our father." Sokka stormed past me toward Appa.

My eyes widened. "What? But what about going to the Northern Water Tribe? How long are you two gonna be gone?"

"Who cares." Sokka gathered his things. "Aang received the message Bato was waiting for last night, but he hid it from us so we wouldn't leave."

My attention snapped to Aang, who cowered under my stern gaze, and I walked over to him. "I knew there was a reason you were acting so strange this morning. Aang, what were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. Katara and Sokka were so excited about seeing their dad. I was worried that they were going to leave," he said.

"Well, we weren't." Sokka glared at him. "Congratulations!"

"Sokka, you should really think about this," Bato said.

"I have, and I don't want to stay with someone who's going to lie to me about something this important." Sokka adjusted his bag onto his back. "Come on, Katara."

"So that's it? We're splitting up?" I said.

Sokka looked at me, his gaze softening a little. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Frowning, I stomped over to him and blocked his path. "But what about stopping the Fire Lord? Wasn't that the reason we're going on this journey in the first place?"

"I can fight the Fire Lord just fine alongside the rest of my _family_." He stepped around me.

"But…." I said.

"My mind's made up. Goodbye, Tashi. Aang," Sokka said.

He made his way toward the exit with Bato. I felt Katara hug me, but I was too shocked to return it. Were they really leaving just like that?

Katara furrowed her brow and shifted her gaze between Aang and me. "Good luck. Take care of yourselves."

Aang lowered his head. "Yeah, you too."

And just like that, I stood there and watched Sokka and Katara leave us. They left us. Just walked away like our journey together wasn't for some kind of purpose. Like we were just on vacation or something, and now they were returning home.

"I can't believe this!" I threw my arms in the air. "You three are so immature. We have a war going on, and you guys are losing focus over a petty squabble! Ugh!"

"What's done is done." Aang sighed, and he jumped on top of Appa. "We can still continue our journey without them."

"Fine. Making sure you master water-bending is more important." I leapt onto the saddle. "If we're lucky, we might bump into them in the future."

"Yeah." He gave a lackluster tug to the reins. "Let's go, Appa."

The bison roared in reply before walking out of the abby. I reclined back in the saddle while Momo curled onto my lap. How was this journey going to go with just the two of us? Granted, there would be less room for distractions, but there was also strength in numbers. However, we didn't make it past the shore before the Head Nun came chasing after us.

"Avatar, you and your friend must leave," she said.

Aang groaned. "Okay, I get it. Everyone wants me gone."

I leaned over the saddle. "Why? What's wrong?"

"A group of people came to the abby looking the Avatar. There was a fierce looking woman with a horrible monster, and a young man with a scar," the Head Nun said.

Aang narrowed his eyes. "Zuko."

"So the prince finally caught up to us." I grinned. "This should be fun."

"The beast was using the scent of a necklace to follow you," the Head Nun said.

"A necklace?" Aang gasped. "Katara!"

"What?" I said.

"Zuko has Katara's necklace." He took hold of the reins. "We have to go."

"Wait." I jumped off of Appa and landed on the sand. "We're not gonna catch up to the others in time. Besides, Zuko doesn't have it in him to actually kill anyone. Once he realizes you're not with Sokka and Katara, he'll be back."

Aang was quiet while he weighed his options, and he slowly nodded. "You're right. We'll wait at the abby."

We returned to the abby and waited for the prince in the large courtyard. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for him to return. The abby doors burst open to reveal the large beast the head nun mentioned. Riding on top was a woman dressed in all black, an older Fire Nation man, and the prince himself.

 _Sokka? Katara?_ My eyes widened as I spotted the siblings riding on the back of the beast as hostages.

However, as I expected, they appeared unharmed. I remained hidden behind the large pots of perfume with the nuns while Aang distracted the beast. He flew in a circle on his glider, luring the animal onto its hind legs until it flew over and knocked its riders off.

The woman quickly jumped to her feet, and cracking a whip, called her pet back to action. Jumping onto the beast, she went for Aang, but Appa charged into both of them, sending them crashing into the wall. The woman and the beast were knocked unconscious, and Zuko took the opening to go after Aang.

I abandoned my hiding spot and rushed over to Katara and Sokka. "Are you two, okay?"

Sokka looked at me. "We can't move."

"That pet the woman has. It can paralyze you with its tongue," Katara said.

I gasped. "Paralyze?"

"It's okay. It's not permanent." Her eyes widened. "Tashi, look out!"

I leapt out of the way before the beast could strike me with its tongue. I retreated away, wanting to keep my distance, but before the woman could send her pet after me again, Appa charged at them. While the large animals fought, I pulled Katara and Sokka to safety beside the wall.

"How long is this supposed to last?" I said.

Sokka groaned. "I don't know. An hour maybe."

I surveyed the courtyard. Appa was holding the woman and her pet at bay, but I didn't know how many times the bison could withstand whatever venom the beast carried. Then there was the older man. Unlike the woman, he looked more closely related to Zuko, but he wasn't attacking us at all for some strange reason.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Aang were dueling one on one. As they both threw their element toward each other, the combination of fire and air caused an explosion that flung them onto opposite sides of the roof. They crashed against the shingles, and both of them seemed to be unconscious.

"Aang!" I said.

Unfortunately, Zuko's armor must've softened the blow, for he recovered in a matter of seconds and made his way toward Aang, who still hadn't woken up.

I dashed in front of the prince and held an air-bending stance. "Leave Aang alone."

"You think you can stop me?" Zuko punched a blast of fire at me.

I tried my best to dodge it the way Aang taught me, but my balance was off. To my dismay, Zuko noticed, and he was able to trip me up. I landed on my back and groaned.

"Looks like someone hasn't finished their training." He smirked. "Stay out of the fight, little girl, before you need to be rescued again."

He made his way to the roof.

"Little girl?" I glared at him.

Just as Zuko managed to grab onto the edge of the roof, I leapt up and snatched him by his foot. Our combined weight sent us crashing back on the ground. I rolled over and sprung to my feet just in time to dodge the wave of fire Zuko sent at me. I returned to my comfortable technique and air-punched at him. He dodged out of the way and threw more fire at me. This time I powered through it by punching strong gusts of air into the flames, dispersing them into smoke.

I repeated my strategy over and over as I closed in on the prince, and soon I had him cornered against the wall. Zuko swipe-kicked a wave of fire at my feet, and I leapt over it and dove toward him. He caught my right arm before I could punch him, and then my left. I struggled to free myself from his grip, but he was able to flip us around and pin me against the wall.

"This is not how you treat a lady." I continued to struggle. "I guess you royals never learned manners."

"Quiet, peasant!" Zuko narrowed his eyes at me. "Now, I won't repeat myself. Stay out of my way, and I won't hurt you or your Water Tribe friends."

"And let you capture Aang? Forget it." I met his gaze and scoffed. "You know? It's a shame such a handsome face is wasted on someone like you."

I leaned forward as I said this and lightly brushed my lips against the scarred side of his face. A small gasp escaped his lips, and his grip on my arms loosened. I quickly pulled myself free before air-punching Zuko in the face. He fell back on the ground, and I stood over him with a smirk.

"You boys really do make it too easy sometimes," I said.

Unfortunately, my victory was short won, for I felt something sharp strike my neck, paralyzing my body on contact. I dropped to the ground and could only glare at Zuko once he recovered from my attack. He sent me a disgusted look in return, but I could see tinges of pink on his cheeks. Without another word, he ran off to go after Aang again.

Now I know what you're thinking. Did I have crush on Prince Zuko? Of course not. I'm just not against using my feminine wiles to my advantage. Okay, so maybe he's sort of attractive, but he's the Fire Lord's son. His family has done nothing but terrorize the rest of the world, and here he is trying to capture the Avatar. I'd sooner suffocate the loser than have any feelings for him.

Although, I'd have to say that being paralyzed was an unpleasant feeling, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I wasn't sure how long I was stuck like that, but soon the scent of perfume wafted under my nose. It was like my body had been jolted awake with lightning, and in an instant, I could move again. I looked up to see Katara, Sokka, and the Head Nun.

"Thanks for that." I stood and flexed my hands.

"No problem." Sokka looked at the woman and her pet. "That thing sees with its nose. Let's give it something to look at."

The Head Nun gestured to the bottle in her hands. "The perfume?"

Sokka nodded, and three of them went over to the other nuns to put his plan into action. They knocked the large jars of perfume over, and Katara bended through the courtyard, splashing onto the woman's pet. With its senses overwhelmed, the beast went stir crazy, its tongue slashing in all directions. It struck Zuko and its master before fleeing out of the abby.

Aang jumped down and retrieved his staff. "Is everyone alright?"

"All in one piece," I said.

Katara nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, we're fine."

Sokka gestured to Appa. "Now, let's get out of here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, what? So you two are back now?"

"Yeah. We changed our mind." He retrieved what was left of his and Katara's bags and tossed them into the saddle. "We'll explain on the way."

I held up one finger. "Give me a second."

I walked over to where Zuko, the older man, and the woman had fallen. Lying on the ground, a few feet away, was the woman's whip, and I gladly claimed the spoils for myself.

"Now, this is more like it." I cracked the whip in the air a few times, enjoying the feel of it in my hand.

"Hey, that's mine, you brat!" the woman snarled at me from her awkward position next to the old man.

"Finders keepers." I stuck my tongue out at her before turning my attention to the prince. "If you know what's good for you, Zuko, you'll give up."

"Never." He glared at me.

"Then it's your funeral. Leave Aang alone; otherwise, I'll make sure you join Zhao when the time comes." I gave a slight bow. "Until we meet again, your Highness."

I returned to the Aang, Katara, and Sokka, and we escaped from the abby on Appa.


	12. White Lotus

 “You don’t have to slide.  
  
Life’s not one big high.”  
  
-Hilary Duff

* * *

 The sun began to set, bathing everything in a hazy, golden light. As we traveled closer to the North Pole, the days became shorter and shorter, and we had to set up camp much more often. We were walking through the forest, looking for the safest place to rest, until we came across a large message board in the center of the path.

Katara walked over to it and examined the poster plastered on the front. "This should give us a good idea of what's around here."

Sokka clutched his growling stomach. "See if you can find a menu. I'm starving."

"Or maybe a village, so we can restock on supplies," I said.

Aang pointed to a colorful flyer. "I bet we'll find something to eat here! The Fire Days Festival. Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, and magicians. This'd be a great place for me to study some real fire-benders."

Sokka walked over to the other side of the message board and frowned. "You might wanna rethink that. Look at this."

We walked around to see what he was talking about and saw a flyer with Aang's picture on it.

Aang smiled. "Hey, a poster of me."

"A _wanted_ poster. This is bad," Sokka said.

I examined the other wanted posters on the board. A few were of some men I didn't recognize, and then there was one for the Blue Spirit. I narrowed my eyes at the drawing. It was the same mask Zuko had worn when he _saved_ Aang and me from Zhao.

_Looks like someone's gotten himself into trouble._ I bit my lip. _Why do you have to be such a mystery?_

I don't know why I was having this draw to the prince. Was it because he was kind of cute? No, I knew better than to be that foolish. Maybe it was because his actions continued to confuse me? Despite his persistence, Zuko had shown so much restraint. He hadn't harmed Sokka or Katara beyond paralyzing them with that creepy animal, and he even tried to be merciful towards me. If it had been Zhao or any other soldiers, I know we wouldn't have gotten off that easily.

Still, I couldn't let my guard down just because Zuko seemed nicer than the rest. My threat to him during our last fight was very real, and yet, a part of me hated that it might come to fruition. I kept myself to a strict code of only killing in the heat of battle with Zhao being my only exception. However, as much as I wasn't confident in Aang's ability to be our savior from this war, I also would never allow the Fire Nation to take him away. Aang was a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, and I would do whatever it took to make sure that hope stayed alive.

"I think we better keep moving," Katara said.

Aang looked at her. "But I have to learn fire-bending at some point, and this could be my only chance to watch some masters up close."

She shrugged. "I guess we could check it out."

"What? I can't believe you two. You wanna walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up with all of their, you know, fire?" Sokka waved his arms in the air before looking at me. "Tashi, help me out here."

"I agree. Colonial villages are too risky, and we shouldn't draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves." I folded my arms. "Besides, aren't you supposed to learn water-bending, then earth, _and then_ fire, Aang?"

"Yeah, and who's supposed to teach me? The only way to learn is in secret," he said.

"I'm sure it'll be fine to observe from a safe distance." Katara smiled. "We'll wear disguises, and if it looks like trouble, we'll leave."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because we always leave before we get into trouble."

Aang nodded. "It's decided then."

"Excuse me? Nothing's decided." Sokka crossed his arms in an 'X' motion. "We have two votes for going and two for leaving. It's a tie."

"Then we'll break it with a coin toss." Aang pulled a copper piece from his pocket. "Heads, we go to the festival. Tails, we don't."

He tossed it up into the air, and the coin landed directly on Sokka's forehead. Aang checked it and grinned.

"Heads!" he said.

Sokka frowned as the coin slid off of his forehead and onto the ground. "Great."

We traveled to the end of the path, which stopped at a cliff that overlooked the Fire Nation colonial village.

Aang turned to Appa and Momo. "You guys stay out of sight while we go to the festival.

Momo hid behind one of the bushes. Appa did the same even though he was still visible.

He turned toward us. "Ready disguises."

Katara, Sokka, and I put on our cloaks. Aang pulled his tunic over his head and gave us an awkward smile.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "It's like you're a whole different person."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea. You can't go into the village like that," I said.

"It'll be fine." Aang headed down the hill. "Let's go."

….

Night fell by the time we reached the village, and I had to admit it definitely looked fun. Fireworks flew out toward the sky, there were performers of all types, and children were running around playing with sparklers. Unfortunately, we didn't fit in as much as we hoped. Aside from our clothes not matching the typical red and gold pattern of the Fire Nation, the adults were all wearing masks.

Katara furrowed her brow. "I think we need some new disguises."

Sokka groaned. "Where are we gonna get masks like that?"

"Get your genuine Fire Festival Masks here!" A peddler called from our right.

"That was surprisingly easy," Sokka said.

We walked over to the peddler and picked out our masks. Katara picked a plain female mask, Aang took a sad jester, and Sokka took a cheerful spirit.

"I don't think those suit you two," I said.

Katara glanced between the boys before switching their masks. "She's right."

"And what about you, young lady?" the peddler said.

I glanced over the masks and noticed a light blue one that looked like a dragon. "I'll take this one."

"Good eye." The peddler handed me the mask. "You'd make a lovely dragon empress."

I raised an eyebrow. "Dragon empress?"

"Why from the play, _Love Amongst the Dragons_ ," he said.

"Oh." I put the mask on. "Sorry, but I'm not well versed in plays."

It only covered half of my face, which was fine with me, for I didn't stand out as much as the others anyway. We paid for the masks before Sokka went to search for some food.

"Hey, look at this." Aang wandered off toward a large crowd.

"Aang, hold on." Katara followed him. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. But there's a big crowd, so it must be good," he said.

"Knowing the Fire Nation, it's probably an execution," Sokka grumbled.

"Then we shouldn't be too obvious about our aversion to this place. Lighten up a little." I nudged him before following Katara and Aang.

It turned out the crowd wasn't for an execution, but a magic show. With his fire-bending, the magician performed a bunch of tricks and turned his flames into a flock of birds.

"I've gotta learn that trick," Aang said.

The magician bowed. "Thank you. For my next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience."

Aang raised his hand to get the magician's attention, but I quickly pulled his arm down.

"Are you trying to get us caught?" I said through gritted teeth.

"I just want to get a closer look," Aang said.

Katara shook her head. "It's better if we don't draw any attention to ourselves."

Unfortunately, the magician noticed Katara, and with some encouragement from the crowd, coerced her to go up on stage. He tied her to a chair as a captured princess, and created a dragon with his fire. Everything was going fine until it looked like he was going to throw the fire at Katara. Aang jumped in the way before he could and dispersed the flames with a whirlwind of air, causing them to turn into confetti.

"Oh no," I said.

Aang's mask had fallen off and someone in the crowd called for the guards. Sokka jumped onto the stage to free Katara, and I took Aang by the hand as we fled from the stage.

"Follow me. I can get you out of here."

We saw a cloaked man hidden at the edge of the crowd, and with no other choice, we decided to follow him. We ran until we reached a dead end. Aang called for Appa with his bison whistle, and just as we were cornered, Appa swooped in to save us. The cloaked man set off a bomb into a batch of fireworks, setting them off, and we were able to escape without being followed.

"Well, that was close." I removed my mask and stuffed it into the pocket in my cloak.

Aang smiled at the cloaked man. "Thanks for helping us back there."

"You really seem to know your explosives," Sokka said.

The man turned to us, revealing his face. "I'm familiar."

My eyes widened a little. He looked like one of the men I saw on the wanted posters.

"You're a Fire Nation soldier," Sokka said.

"Was." The man turned to us, revealing his face. "My name's Chey."

….

Once we were a safe distance from the colonial village, we set up camp in the middle of the forest. We sat in a circle around the campfire.

"I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong, the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?" Chey said.

Sokka folded his arms. "He was very highly ranked. We get it."

"Yeah. Way up there. But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a fire-bending genius. Some say he's mad… but he's not. He's enlightened," Chey said.

Aang stood up. "You mean there's a fire-bender out here who's not with the Fire Lord? We've gotta go see him. He can train me."

Sokka shook his head. "We're not gonna go find some crazy fire-bender."

"He's not crazy. He's a genius. And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar. That's why I followed you into the festival," Chey said.

"Look, thanks for the help." Sokka shook his head. "But we're leaving for the North Pole in the morning."

Aang walked up to Sokka with a pleading face. "Sokka, this could be my only chance to meet a fire-bending master, who'd actually be willing to teach me."

Katara nodded. "It can't hurt just to talk to him."

"That's what you said about going to the festival." Throwing his hands up in the air, Sokka groaned. "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?"

"Maybe we should go. I remember seeing Jeong Jeong on the wanted posters, so this guy's story seems legit." Narrowing my eyes, I walked over to Chey and pointed a finger in his face. "But this better not be some kind of trap; otherwise, you and I will have a problem. And trust me. You don't want that."

The moment I turned away from him, we were ambushed by an army of men with spears. I wasn't sure what their association was, for they were dressed in straw hats and clothes. Maybe they were bounty hunters?

"Don't move," the leader of the group said.

I glared at Chey. "What's going on?"

Chey held his hands in the air. "It's okay. These guys are with me. With Jeong Jeong. It's cool."

"Doesn't sound _cool_ to me." Sokka reluctantly held his hands in the air.

I shared a glance with Sokka, Katara, and Aang. Despite their shock, they were willing to trust this suspicious group, and I sighed. If they weren't going to fight, neither was I, but I hoped this situation didn't become worse. We were led to what seemed to be a hideout by the a river. There were a few huts nearby and even more men from this group.

"I don't like this," I said.

Sokka nodded. "Yeah, but we're pretty much stuck now."

Once we reached the end of the river the men forced us to stop walking, and one of them shoved Chey forward toward the last hut.

"Go on. He sees you only," one of the men said.

"Oh. That's okay." Chey smiled at us. "We can chat later."

"Is that where Jeong Jeong is?" Aang stepped forward. "I need to talk to him right away."

"No." One of the men stopped him.

Chey went on ahead while we were forced to wait outside. Thankfully, the men gave us some freedom, so we could sit down and relax. A few minutes later, Chey exited the hut and walked over to us.

"What happened? Can I see Jeong Jeong now?" Aang said.

Chey shook his head. "He won't see you. He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately."

Sokka stood. "Finally! Let's hit the road."

Aang furrowed his brow. "Why won't he see me?"

"He says you're not ready. He could tell by the way you walked into camp that you haven't mastered water-bending or earth-bending yet," Chey said.

"I'm going in anyway." Aang pushed past Chey.

I stood and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Wait, Aang. Just think this through."

He turned around. "What's there to think about? I need to learn fire-bending."

"If this Jeong Jeong guy doesn't wanna teach you yet, it's for a good reason." I placed my hands on my hips. "I'm sure these guys aren't going anywhere. Why don't we just arrange for Jeong Jeong to teach you later?"

"And what if we can't find him later? I need to learn now." He walked away.

I sighed and sat back down. "This won't end well."

….

The next morning, Sokka had occupied himself with fishing, Katara was practicing more water-bending moves from her scroll, and I decided to continue practicing the few moves Aang had shown me. Why were we doing these things instead of leaving? Well, I don't know how, but Aang was able to convince this Jeong Jeong guy to train him.

While that was great, it threw our plans completely off schedule. How long were we going to be here, and did Aang completely forget that we were being tracked by Zuko and Zhao? We would have to move on at some point, which would cut his training short anyway, but he was too impatient to understand that.

I finally saw Aang emerge from Jeong Jeong's hut with the master himself. He appeared to be in his sixties. His hair was white and unruly, and he had three, thin slash-like scars on his right cheek. Aang perched himself on a rock that rested in the shallow parts of the river and got into a basic stance.

Jeong Jeong watched him. "Widen your stance."

Aang did so.

"Wider." Jeong Jeong walked past with his hands behind his back. "Bend your knees. Now concentrate. Good."

"Wait? What do I do now?" Aang said.

"Silence!" Jeong Jeong turned around. "Talking is not concentrating. Look at your friends. Are they talking?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jeong Jeong gesture to Katara and then to me, but his eyes widened a little as he saw me air-bend. After living in one place for so long, I'd have to get used to everyone being surprised by that. I tried to keep my attention on holding my form, but it was hard to resist laughing as Aang was lectured by Jeong Jeong. I shook my head and returned to my stance. I needed to be light like the air itself, but it felt off. I liked being tethered to the ground. It was more comfortable.

_Ugh. Why do my nationalities have to be so opposite in their element?_ _Okay. Focus. Circular motion_. I moved my arms in a rotating motion while slowly bending the air around me. _Be flexible._

"Excuse me, Miss?" Jeong Jeong said.

I jumped a little as he jolted me from my thoughts and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"Come with me." With a sharp turn, he walked in the direction of his hut.

I looked at the others for reassurance, and they simply shrugged. Sighing, I followed Jeong Jeong into his hut. He sat down in the center of a bunch of candles, and I furrowed my brow, unsure of what to do.

"Please. Sit." He gestured to the spot in front of him. "Your friends called you Tashi?"

"Yeah–" I did as he asked. "Uh, what did you want to see me for, uh Jeong Jeong… sir?"

He glanced me over. "You are Kalsang's granddaughter, aren't you?"

I blinked. "You knew my grandfather?"

"Yes." He nodded. "He was an old friend. His death was indeed a great loss, but an even greater loss was your assumed demise."

I folded my arms. "No offense, but why does my well being interest you?"

Jeong Jeong was silent for a moment before giving me a serious look. "What I am about to tell you is for your ears only. You will not share this with your friends, especially the Avatar."

"Why? What's…?" I said.

He narrowed his eyes and repeated in a stern tone, "Do you understand?"

I hesitated to answer, for he was starting to scare me. Why would my grandfather be friends with someone from the Fire Nation? They were the enemy. Even if this guy was a defect, it didn't make him any less dangerous. He could turn Aang and the rest of us over at any moment if he wanted.

However, my curiosity got the better of me, and I slowly nodded. "I… I understand. I won't say a word."

"You don't seem so sure." He sighed. "I can tell that you're much more hardened than your friends, and I understand that you would reasonably have reservations about trusting someone from the Fire Nation. However, I assure you that all of you are safe here."

My gaze drifted toward the ground. "You're right, but if you have something important to tell me concerning my family, just tell me. I give you my word that I will not share what you say to the others."

I bowed my head a little in hopes that I would appear more convincing.

"Very well." Jeong Jeong pulled something from his pocket and tossed it over to me.

I caught it and raised an eyebrow. "A Pai Sho tile?"

"Your grandfather was not only a friend of mine, but many others throughout the world. His last request before his death was to ensure that you, the only air-bender, would be protected. However, none of us where able to find you, and you presumed dead," he said.

"And what now? Do you want me to join you and these other friends of yours?" I said.

He shook his head. "No. You need to remain with the Avatar in order to master air-bending, but I want you to keep that tile with you at all times. If you are ever in need, the Order of the White Lotus will help you."

I examined the tile again. It had a white lotus imprinted on it. I recalled my grandparents always playing the game, but I was never really any good at it.

"Yes. But how will I know who's a part of this order?" I said.

"They will know you." He stood. "You are free to go."

"Thank you, Master Jeong Jeong." I bowed again before I left the hut.

Seeing me step outside, Aang immediately broke his stance and rushed over to me. "So what did Jeong Jeong say to you?"

"I did not tell you to stop, boy! Return to your stance and concentrate on your breathing!" Jeong Jeong's voice rang from inside of the hut.

Aang groaned. "He's not even out here. How did he…?"

"He's a master, Aang." I chuckled. "Besides, this is what you wanted. Stop being so stubborn and try listening to him."

He frowned. "Okay, but what…?"

"I said return to your stance!" Jeong Jeong's voice called out again.

Aang pouted and returned to the rock he had been perched on.

I walked over to the spot I had been training in and began stretching.

"So what did Jeong Jeong want?" Katara said.

"Don't worry about it." I waved my hand in dismissal. "So how long are we planning to stay here?"

"Not long if I have any say in it." Sokka brought over the fish he managed to catch. "We should be on our way to the North Pole not playing around with fire. This is dangerous, and we can't trust these people."

"Good luck convincing Aang." I bent down and touched my toes. "He has his heart set on learning fire-bending despite how impatient he is."

Sokka grumbled and continued with his task while Katara shook her head.

"Everything will be fine." She smiled. "Once Aang gets this out of his system, we'll leave."

"If you say so." I took a deep breath and stretched my hands high above my head.

Whatever happened, it was nice to know that we had some allies now. I wondered what this Order of the White Lotus was about and who else was apart of it.

I sat down and began my meditation. _I'm sure I'll find out._


	13. Vengeance

 “Doesn’t matter where you go or what you do.  
  
‘Cause if I burn, so will you.”  
  
-Emilie Autumn

* * *

 Another day passed, and Katara, Sokka, and I were enjoying breakfast. Sokka sneered at Jeong Jeong, who was leading Aang to some other location to train, before taking a bite out of his fish. I shook my head and continued eating my rice. I couldn't blame him for being wary, and it wasn't fair that I couldn't share my recent discovery with the group. Although, I doubt it would ease his fears.

"Sulking isn't going to change anything, Sokka," I said.

"Not like there's anything else to do." He grumbled. "We're being forced to sit around, so Aang can learn evil Fire Nation tricks."

Katara sighed. "He's the Avatar. He has to learn all four elements, which includes fire-bending."

"Besides, Sokka, staying here hasn't been so bad." I smiled. "I managed to get Chey to lend me some toys from his bomb collection."

"Except we don't need bombs or fire-bending. We need to go to the North Pole before something else bad happens." Sokka set his bowl down. "I mean how do we know that the Fire Nation didn't track us here? What if Jeong Jeong turns us in?"

"He won't." I took another bite of rice.

He narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?"

"Because I normally don't care for anyone from the Fire Nation, but Jeong Jeong seems alright to me. Stop worrying. We'll be fine," I said.

We spent the rest of the morning trying to keep busy. I decided to continue practicing and began my stretches. I watched Katara, who had moved further down the river, so she wouldn't disturb the tribesmen while she practiced. It was impressive how fluid her movements were, and I raised an eyebrow when I saw her bend parts of the river into ice.

Water was, without a doubt, the most malleable element in the way it changed form. However, like with earth-bending, Katara needed a source, or else she would be helpless. Fire was unique, for it came from within the bender's own energy. Air, on the other hand, was everywhere, and I wondered how far I could push its limits.

Aang had said that I needed to be one with the air around me. The slightest change in the breeze could mean anything, and being able to react in time could save my life. As I took my stance and began weaving around, I could feel the benefits. Subtle wisps of air brushed across my skin, and at their slight push, I changed direction.

_Traditional air-bending will be beneficial, but I don't want to give up my old skills either._ I furrowed my brow. _Maybe there's a way combine them into a new form?_

I know it hurt Aang's feelings when I told him that I'd never be a true Air Nomad like he wanted, but I had to be honest with him. I couldn't deny who I was, so he could turn me into a replica of the past. While it might sound cruel, I felt that if our people weren't able to survive the war then something had to change. The next generations would have to be stronger and fiercer for whatever fate may befall our world. After all, there was still a fifty percent chance that we wouldn't win this war, which meant we had to be prepared for anything.

"You're getting better."

I dropped my stance and turned around to see Aang standing behind me. "You're done already?"

"No. I need to speak with Jeong Jeong, but he's gone right now." He frowned. "I'm tired of him wasting my time with all of these breathing exercises."

"Honestly, Aang, why are you being so impatient?" I returned to my stance and started circling the air around me. "The key to fire-bending is through breathing. You can't expect to master it if you're unwilling to learn the basics."

"And how are you such an expert?" he said.

"I told you before–" I switched up my movements. "I used to study the soldiers I fought against. You'd be surprised how much you can learn just by watching other people."

"Yeah, well I don't have time for all of that. I need to defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives." Aang pouted and sat on the ground. "If Jeong Jeong would just teach me how to make fire and shoot it, we would've been on our way to the North Pole by now."

I rolled my eyes. "Great idea. I'm sure you'll defeat the Fire Lord with a few weak blasts. If this is how you approach learning the rest of the elements, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"What else am I supposed to do? Nobody understands the pressure I'm under." He threw his arms in the air. "I'm trying my best to be the Avatar even though I don't know what I'm doing most of the time. I'm… I'm just one kid."

Aang hugged his arms around his knees, his gaze drifting toward the ground. I sighed and sat beside him. He was right. He was just a kid with the fate of the world on his shoulders, and it didn't help that he lacked the focus and maturity that was needed to handle it.

"Listen, Aang, in the short time I've known you, I can see that you have what it takes to be a great Avatar. You're clever, you have talent, and you have a good heart." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "But you need to toughen up. This war is pressuring on everyone, but we're all doing what we can despite how hard, or painful, or stressful it might be. And you…."

"What are you doing here?" Jeong Jeong approached us. "I did not tell you to stop, boy!"

Aang looked at him. "I've been breathing for hours. I got bored."

"You want to stop breathing?" Jeong Jeong said.

"I want you to stop wasting my time." Aang stood. "I already know how to squat, and breathe, and feel the sun. I wanna know how to shoot fire out of my fingertips."

Jeong Jeong stared at him and heaved a heavy sigh. "I had a pupil once who had no interest in learning discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire, and how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path. But fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume, and without control, it destroys everything around it. Learn restraint, or risk destroying yourself and everything you love."

Jeong Jeong returned to his hut. I watched Aang furrow his brow and sit back down.

"So what do you want to do?" I said.

Aang looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"You coerced Jeong Jeong into training you even though he said you weren't ready, and now all you do is fight him on everything." I stood up. "So you have two options. Either you start taking this seriously, or I'm telling Katara and Sokka to pack up for the North Pole."

His eyes widened. "But we can't leave…."

I folded my arms and gave him a stern look. "Then make a decision."

"Tashi's right." Sokka walked over to us. "We've already wasted enough time here, and I don't trust these guys."

Pursing his lips, Aang sighed and slowly made his way over to Jeong Jeong's hut.

"We should leave right now," Sokka said.

Katara walked over. "Let's give Aang one more day, and if it still isn't working out, then we'll go."

"Fine." Sokka walked over to Appa and climbed into the saddle.

He muttered under his breath while sharpening his boomerang. Katara shared a glance with me and shook her head.

I stretched my arms. "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back before evening."

"Wait." She held up her hand. "I was wondering if we could spar?"

"Really?" I said.

She nodded. "Yeah. I've been watching you, and it'd be nice to practice with someone who's closer to my level."

"Excuse me?" I feigned a gasp and placed a hand over my heart. "I'll have you know that I'm a seasoned fighter with plenty of skills, and I can get pretty dangerous if you get me in the wrong mood."

Katara raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. "I meant your air-bending, and from what I've seen, it could use a lot of work."

"Oh. Then we'll just have to see who's the bigger amateur." I turned to leave. "After I finish my walk."

"Don't take too long. Wouldn't want you to be tired," Katara called after me.

I waved her off and wandered down the shore, following the path of the river. For the first time in a while, I took in my surroundings and enjoyed the tranquility of the forest. Smiling, I decided to give my legs a workout and started running. I kept my pace fairly average, but it was enough to satisfy my desire to have the wind swirling all around me.

However, my moment of bliss was short lived as the scent of smoke caught my nose. I stopped running and searched the area. I could see birds fleeing from a section of the forest up ahead followed by plumes of smoke.

_This can't be good._ I frowned. _Where there's smoke, there's fire, and where there's fire, there's Fire Nation._

I rushed over to investigate, but before I could get close, I saw several of Jeong Jeong's tribesmen friends run toward me from the opposite direction.

"What's going on?" I said.

"Fire Nation soldiers." One of the men grabbed my arm. "Hurry. We must return to the camp."

"Who is it?" I said.

"There's no time." The tribesman pulled me along. "Hurry."

"You guys go warn the others. I'm gonna check it out." I slid my arm out of his grasp and rushed back toward the smoke, ignoring the tribesmen's protests.

I continued until I reached the edge of the cliff. Below, I spotted three Fire Navy boats making their way up the river, and they were being headed by Zhao. My blood boiled at the sight of him. How did he find us? Had the word spread from that colonial village? Whatever the reason, I wasn't going to let him get any further. Today, I would have my revenge.

_Time to finish this._ I took a few steps back.

Charging forward, I leapt toward one of the boats, and I sent a blast of air at the soldier closest to me, knocking him away. I tucked and rolled as I landed on the deck, dodging the fireball that was sent my way.

"Stop the boats!"

At Zhao's command, the boats came to a halt, which threw the soldiers around me off balance. I air-kicked the one in front of me out of the way and hopped on top of the cabin. Taking a deep breath, propelled myself to the boat Zhao was on. However, before I could reach him, I was surrounded by more soldiers. I stood my ground with my whip, ready to lash at the first soldier to make a move.

"That's enough, men." Zhao held up his hand. "She's not going anywhere."

Seeing his smug expression, I glared at him and put my whip away.

"You really are foolish if you thought you could take me and my men all by yourself." He smirked. "Although, it makes everything easier for me."

"That's what you think." I pulled two bombs out of my pockets and ripped the strings off with my teeth to ignite them.

The soldiers surrounding me retreated when I dropped them. Luckily for them, I only had smoke bombs, but their confusion gave me the leverage I needed. With two large blasts, the smoke engulfed the deck of the boat, allowing me to slip away.

Zhao coughed. "Fools! Apprehend the air-bender!"

Following his voice, I bended a gust of air at Zhao that knocked him toward the edge of the deck. I charged forward and leapt for him, sending both of us crashing into the river. As we submerged under the water, my hands went for his throat. This was my moment. At last, I would avenge my family, my village, and myself. I would rid the world of this horrible monster forever.

A few bubbles of air escaped his lips, and Zhao grasped my wrists to pry me off. Despite my rush of adrenaline, he was stronger than me and was able to force me back. Air bubbles spewed from his nose, and his hands burned through my sleeves and into my skin. I held back a gasp as he tackled me down against the riverbed.

The force of my back hitting the rocks shoved what little air I had left from my lungs. Zhao grinned and held me in place, hoping to drown me. My vision blurred, but I could feel his grip loosen as he ran out of air as well. Gritting his teeth, he released me before I could pass out and swam back to the surface. I followed suit, clawing at the water in desperation, and I resurfaced a few seconds after him.

However, there was no time to flail around like a wounded animal. I took a few breaths before lunging at Zhao and grabbing him by his topknot. I yanked down as hard as I could, dragging him back under the river. So long as I could keep him submerged, I would have a chance. Keeping my grip on his topknot, I pulled out one of my knives and went for his throat, but he swiped at me with his fist, causing me to slash his face instead.

Zhao let out a scream that almost sounded like a roar, and the water started bubbling around us. The water closest to him grew warmer until it became burning hot, and I quickly swam out of his range. I resurfaced again only to duck under from the barrage of fireballs the soldiers above were throwing at me.

My eyes went wide as Zhao took hold of me. He wrapped his right arm around my waist, and his left hand covered my nose and mouth. I struggled against him, but he was able to hold me firmly in place as he brought us to the surface. At the sight of their Admiral, the soldiers ceased their attack, and a chill ran down my spine when I felt Zhao's breath against my ear.

"You have a lot fire in you for a pathetic air-bender. I could use that kind of viciousness in my ranks. Tell you what–" He tightened his grip on me. "Help me capture the Avatar, and I'll let you live. As an Admiral, I can grant you protection. All you have to do is surrender your allegiance to the Fire Lord."

I bit his hand, making him remove it. "Never!"

His hand clamped over my throat. "Do you really believe a mere child can defeat the greatest nation in the world?"

"Right now. No." I continued to struggle. "But I'm gonna help make sure Aang has every chance to in the future, and that includes not betraying him to a monster like you."

He snarled in my ear, "I'm going to enjoy torturing you."

Ensnaring his hand into my hair, Zhao slammed my face into the rocks, and I was done.


	14. Captive

“Evil knocking at my door.  
  
Evil making me its whore.”  
  
-The Pretty Reckless

* * *

 I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes to the dreadful sight of metal walls and bars. My head throbbed, and I had to blink a few times to clear my vision. I was in a cell, and judging by the way everything was rocking back and forth, I must've been on a ship.

Despite my dizziness, I managed to sit upright. My clothes and weapons had been taken, and I was wearing a thin, red robe that did little to protect against the freezing and damp air around me. I tried to regulate my body temperature, but I could barely breathe.

A metal mask covered my nose and mouth with just enough slits to keep me from suffocating. My arms and legs were chained in cuffs, and they even remembered to tie my hands behind my back this time. I cringed at how tightly the cuffs were digging into my skin.

"Comfortable?"

I looked up and saw Zhao standing right outside of my cell. Opening the gate, he entered, and once again, I was trapped with him alone.

"If you had accepted my offer, I could've provided you with more reasonable accommodations." He stepped closer. "But you'll serve me just as well as a prisoner."

I retreated until my back hit the wall behind me, and I cursed myself at my open display of fear.

"What's the matter?" He laughed. "Has your fire fizzled out?"

My gaze wandered to the gash I made on his face. It ran from his chin up to his right ear, and I couldn't help but smile at my handiwork. At least I had managed to mark him like he had done me.

"No." I straightened my posture and tilted my head up. "Because I have no fire. The Earth Kingdom is strong and proud, and no matter how many flames your people toss at us, we will not bend to your will."

Although my voice was muffled by the mask, Zhao seemed to still understand me, for I saw his left eye twitch at my defiance.

"So naive. For the past hundred years, we have eroded away at your precious nation rock by rock, and by the summer's end, the Earth Kingdom will fall–" He smirked and held up my great grandmother's necklace. "Just like the Air Nomads."

I glared at him. "Give that back!"

"No." He glanced over the necklace and ran a thumb over the pendant. "I need this to lure in a much larger prey. You're going to help me capture the Avatar whether you want to or not."

"If you hurt Aang, I swear I'll…!" I said.

"You swear you'll what?" He snorted and put the pendant away. "Face it. You're powerless and completely at my mercy, so I suggest you behave."

Zhao closed the distance between us, making sure I remained cornered against the wall. Kneeling down, he cupped the side of my face, and he gave me that unnerving lustful look.

"After all, it would be a shame if I had to scar what's left of your pretty, porcelain skin." His hand moved to entangle itself in my hair, which had come undone.

My heart raced with panic as I realized that the only thing _protecting_ me from him was a flimsy robe, and upon glancing down, it was also a little too revealing for my liking.

As if reading my mind, he smirked. "Don't worry. You'll remain untouched for now. I have big plans for the Fire Nation's victory in this war, and only once it's all over will I claim you as my souvenir."

Zhao leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. My stomach lurched, and on instinct, I head-butted him as hard as I could. I balanced my hands on the floor and kicked him away with both feet. Without my air-bending, I was only able to knock him over, but something was better than nothing.

Growling, he threw a fireball at me, and the blast landed at my feet. I scrunched myself against the wall, so I wouldn't slip into the flames. He stood up, and he seethed at my cowering form.

"Have it your way. Let's see how rebellious you are without any rations." Dusting himself off, he exited my cell. "I'll call upon you tomorrow. Until then, I suggest you rethink your priorities and accept your fate."

As Zhao's footsteps faded from the brig, the tension in my body released, and I slumped against the wall. The flames from his outburst had died out, leaving behind scorch marks on the floor, and I stretched out my legs.

_Jet may've turned into a jerk, but I'm glad I was lucky enough to give myself to someone I loved._ I shuddered. _I can't imagine a situation like this being my first introduction to…._

Not that my lack of ignorance diminished Zhao's threat. I didn't want to endure any ideas he had swimming in his disturbing head, and I definitely didn't want to face his wrath if he ever had the chance to find out I wasn't as pure of a trophy as he thought.

_He won't have that chance. You'll get out of this._ I shivered. _I just need to be patient and wait for an opening._

My thoughts wandered to Aang, Katara, and Sokka. They had escaped Zhao's attack at the river. Were they looking for me now, or had they been forced to flee entirely? Did they even know where I was?

_Just keep calm. You'll figure this out._ I closed my eyes. _You'll see the others again. You'll survive this. You always survive._

I kept repeating the words in my head over and over until I fell asleep.

….

The next day, two of Zhao's men dragged me from my cell and brought me out to the upper deck of the ship. The admiral himself was staring off into the distance with his hands behind his back. I shuddered at the thought of being left alone with him again and calmed myself by focusing my attention on the sky. It was nice to see the sun, the clouds, and feel the open air. I shivered from the cold and groaned as the soldiers tightened their grip on my arms.

"Admiral Zhao. The prisoner as you requested," the soldier to my right said.

"Thank you." He turned around and gestured to the right. "Set her over there."

There was a table with food, and the soldiers set me down on the cushion on the left side. The smell of everything made my stomach rumble and gnaw at me.

"You're dismissed." Zhao nodded to his men and sat opposite from me.

The soldiers bowed to him and returned inside of the ship. Was this his game? To force me to watch him eat while I remained tied up? I tried to focus on something else and stared out into the distance. There was nothing but miles of ocean to the left, and what little land I saw on the right was unrecognizable.

_Even if I jumped overboard, I'm not getting anywhere in these chains._ I sighed.

"Hungry?" Zhao watched me with a grin.

How I wished I could wipe it off of his face, but that would just provoke his rage. There would be no chance for me if I weakened from starvation, and the only way to eat would be to play nice.

I nodded.

"Does that mean you will be compliant and obey my command?" he said.

I nodded again.

"I'm sorry." He picked up a cup of tea and took a sip from it. "That wasn't very clear."

_Alright, let's sell this._ I bowed my head and put on the most delicate, whimpering voice I could manage. "I will aid you in your mission, Admiral Zhao. I don't want to spend another night in that cell. It was awful."

"I bet it was, but you're not getting off that easily." He set the cup down. "This is how it will work. Every time you prove your loyalty to me and the Fire Nation, I will grant you a little more freedom. However, every time you defy me, I will grant less, and you will face severe consequences. Is that understood?"

I bowed my head again. "Yes, Admiral Zhao."

He stood up and walked around the table until he was behind me. "Now the first test. I'm going to remove your mask, and you will not air-bend at me or try to escape. Misbehave, and I will lock up without food or water for another two days."

"I understand," I said.

With a click, the mask loosened, and he pulled it away from my face. I gasped for air, finally able to breathe properly, and I immediately focused my attention on regulating my body temperature.

"Much better." Zhao returned to his seat.

I twitched my fingers in frustration. How was I supposed to eat with my hands tied up? My question was answered when Zhao held out a bite of rice with his chopsticks.

_Oh no, he's gonna feed me._ I grimaced. _Could this be any more humiliating?_

He frowned at my reluctance, and not wanting to ruin my progress, I took the bite. He smiled at my compliance and held out bits of some type of fish.

I paused. "Uh, Air Nomads aren't supposed to eat meat."

"And beggars can't be choosers. Eat it, or I won't give you anymore," he said.

_Sorry, Aang._ I did as he asked, and I couldn't deny that the fish was delicious. _Wow, I didn't realize I'd miss this taste so much_. _Why did I become a vegetarian again?_

This continued for a while until Zhao decided that I had had enough. He glanced out at the ocean, and I could tell that he was scheming something.

"Now that you have a little more energy, I think it's time for your next test. I know that at this stage you won't give up the Avatar, but maybe you could help me with something much simpler." He met my gaze. "What do you know about the Blue Spirit?"

I tried to conceal my shock at his question. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Zhao was probably still sore from our escape last time.

I furrowed my brow, hoping to feign ignorance. "The Blue Spirit, sir?"

"Your little friend, who rescued you and the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold. He's an enemy to the Fire Nation, and I want to see him in chains," he said.

I didn't respond. What was I supposed to do? I knew the Blue Spirit was Zuko, and I held no loyalty toward him. However, for some reason, I didn't want to tell Zhao the truth. The whole situation was still confusing. Both Zuko and Zhao wanted to capture Aang, but they weren't working together despite both of them being on the same side.

"Well?" Zhao drummed his fingers against the table.

It would be so easy to tell. The prince was just as much of the enemy as Zhao was, but I didn't want Zhao to win. If Aang had to be captured, I'd rather it be by the prince, and giving this creep such vital information would make him more of a threat than he already was.

_And Zuko didn't have to help me back in the sewers. He could've taken Aang and left me for Zhao to torture. But why did he help me?_ I bit my lip. _Either way, I guess it's time to return the favor._

"You clearly know something to be silent for this long." Zhao narrowed his eyes. "Answer me!"

"Well, that's just it, sir. I don't know how to answer because I don't really know who that guy was," I said.

"What!" He leaned forward, his hands slamming on the sides of the table. "How could you not know?"

"All I know is that he was a friend of this man named Jeong Jeong," I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "My old master?"

"I suppose…." I blinked. "Wait, you were that student Jeong Jeong mentioned?"

"Until I got bored with his pacifist ways." Zhao put a hand to his chin. "What did this friend of his look like?"

I thought for a minute. "From what I remember, he had shaggy, dark hair. He was older, maybe twenties or thirties, but I'm not good at judging that sorta thing. Oh, and he had tan skin. Although, I'm not sure which nation he was from either."

"What about a name?" he said.

I shrugged. "He refused to say. He just accepted our thanks, told Aang where to find Jeong Jeong, and then disappeared."

Zhao was quiet for a moment, and my heart skipped a beat. Would he see through my lie? I tried to make it as plausible as I could, but I was trying to fool a military officer, who has probably interrogated his fair share of prisoners.

"Jeong Jeong managed to elude me, but at least it's a lead." Zhao smiled. "Good work. Keep that up, and you might have the privilege to fight alongside me when we reach the Northern Water Tribe."

"The Northern Water Tribe, sir?" I said.

"Yes." He took another sip of tea. "The Fire Nation was able to reduce the Southern Water Tribe to nothing, but the North has managed to survive for far too long. An issue I plan to correct, but until then, you have a new test to complete."

I furrowed my brow. "What do you need me to do, sir?"

"You will find out in due time." His expression became stern. "And for your sake, you'd better not disappoint me."

"Yes, Admiral Zhao." I nodded and turned my attention to the slowly passing ocean.

I hated this with every fiber of my being, but I reminded myself to be patient. Either Zhao's plans would allow Aang, Katara, and Sokka a chance to rescue me, or I'd earn his trust long enough to have the freedom to strike back.

Zhao glanced behind me. "Ah, Natsumi, right on time."

I looked up and saw a woman, who seemed to be in her late thirties. Her armor consisted of a one layer tunic that left her upper arms exposed. She wore a black headband with the Fire Nation's insignia on it, and there was a sword tied to her back. Her dark brown eyes drifted to me for a moment, and she furrowed her brow.

"Admiral Zhao." She bowed. "You requested for me?"

"Yes. The air-bender will be moved to your quarters. I don't want the men getting too curious about her. For now, get her cleaned up." He met my gaze and gave me a look that made my stomach turn. "Make her nice and pretty for me."

"As you wish, sir." Natsumi bowed again before moving to retrieve me. "Come on, girl. We don't have all day."

I stumbled as she lifted me up and dragged me back into the ship. We headed down a few levels before we reached a door on the end of the hall. Natsumi opened it and brought me into a small room. There was a bed on the side and few of her belongings sitting on a table, but otherwise, it was very dull.

"It's not much, but for you, I'm sure it's better than a cell." She set me on the floor.

"It's fine." I tried to straighten my posture into a position that would be more comfortable. "Since your wonderful Admiral didn't bother to properly introduce us, I guess I'll have to. I'm Tashi: the air-bender who isn't the Avatar."

She stared at me for a few minutes before shrugging. "And as you heard, I'm Natsumi: the non-bender who aspired to be a great military officer only to get stuck serving food to a bunch of grouchy soldiers everyday."

"Don't mask your enthusiasm on my account," I said.

"Yeah, well, women are only allowed to be soldiers in the homeland, and I was just so eager to see the rest of the world. But out here, we can only take jobs that don't involve being on the front lines. Though enough about me." She sat down on her bed. "You're really calm for a prisoner, you know? How old are you anyway?"

"Sixteen," I said.

"Geez." She shook her head and muttered, "I didn't enlist to go around torturing and murdering kids."

I scoffed. "I haven't been a kid in a long time."

"You're still a kid regardless of what you've been through. It just makes your situation all the more sad," she said.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "You mean the fact that your country is waging war against mine and tearing our lives apart?"

An awkward silence fell between us, and Natsumi blinked at my brass comment. After several minutes of us having a staring match, she put her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat.

"I meant you catching the attention of the Admiral," she said.

Sliding off of her bed, she knelt in front of me. Her fingers traced my neck and shoulders, and I realized she must've noticed my scars. She slipped the right side of my robe further down, revealing a section of the large, deep scar on my back.

"Oh my–" Her eyes widened. "I mean, damn. What the Agni did he do to you?"

"This is from four years ago when Zhao burned down my village." I hung my head, allowing my hair to fall over my face. "I've been on my own since then, and I got captured by him while trying to protect the Avatar."

"I see. So this is a personal vendetta." She slid my robe back in place and narrowed her eyes. "For _both_ of you."

"Yeah, because I'm so thrilled to be captured by the man who ruined my life." I gave a sour laugh. "And not only that, but it's always been my big dream to be forced to betray my friends and become his _souvenir_ after he completes whatever conquest he has planned."

"And that's exactly why I wanna know if you're going to be trouble. Everything you've said is one big recipe for an assassination attempt, and even though I'm being nice to you, I'm not going to let you harm my commanding officer." She frowned. "I can only guess that you're the one responsible for that gash on his face."

I smiled. "That might've been me. And you have nothing to worry about. I'm in chains, surrounded by water, and guarded by a ship full of soldiers. My only plan is to keep myself alive and hopefully untouched."

She glanced me over before nodding. "Look, about the Admiral…. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think he was an arrogant, son of a badger-frog. So as long as you don't cause me any problems, I'll help you out."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Not to escape. That would get us both in deep trouble. But I can, you know, try to make things easier for you here," she said.

_Guess that'd be too good to be true_. I nodded. "Fair enough. Thank you, Natsumi."

She smiled. "You're welcome, Tashi. Now, let's get you cleaned up and into some better clothes. You must be freezing."

Natsumi helped me up, and we made our way out of her room and down the hall.

"If it's not too rude, may I ask why you're being so nice to me? I'm just a prisoner," I said.

She glanced at me. "All I want is to fight for the honor of my country. That doesn't mean I need to act like an oppressive tyrant like some of these other knuckleheads I work with."

I chuckled. "Well, congratulations. You're the second Fire Nation soldier who's managed to confuse me."

"And who's the first?" She raised an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"

I stared at the floor. "He's not important."

"He, huh?" She grinned. "I see."

My face flushed. "No, I didn't mean it like…. Never mind."

Natsumi laughed as we continued our way down the hall. This was definitely a turn of events I didn't see coming. I didn't know how long I'd remain imprisoned on this ship, or how long I could resist the urge not to strangle Zhao. However, I made an ally, and that amount of progress would suffice for now.


	15. Advice

“Put your hair in curls.

Paint you up just like a drag queen.”

-The Pretty Reckless

* * *

 

“Alright. Almost done.” Natsumi smiled and held up a small mirror. “There. What do you think?”

I stared at my reflection and cringed at the red eye-powder, blush powder, and red lip-stain coating my face. “I look ridiculous.”

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it.” She set the mirror down and knelt behind me. “Now let’s do something with your hair.”

Leaving the front of my hair loose, she brushed the rest until it was smooth enough to place in a large bun at the very top of my head. She tied a red ribbon around it to hold the bun in place and then retrieved a pair of shears. Moving again, she sat in front of me and pulled the front of my hair taut.

“What are you doing?” I said.

She lifted the shears to my hair. “Trust me. It’ll look great.”

I furrowed my brow. “But–”

My words fell on deaf ears as she sliced my hair shorter in one sweep. She cut my hair. _Cut_ my hair. _My_ hair. I’d taken such good care to grow it back after Zhao burned a huge chunk of it off four years ago, and now it was ruined again because of the same jerk. I watched the severed strands fall on my lap and parts of the floor. I don’t know why, but it felt like a part of me fell with them. Natsumi held her mirror up again. The front of my hair now rested as a set of bangs that feathered along my eyebrows. I grimaced. I didn’t even recognize myself.

There was a knock at the door, and Natsumi left my side to answer it. “What is it, Katsu?”

“Admiral Zhao has requested for the prisoner to be taken to his quarters,” his voice echoed from the hall.

A shiver ran down my spine. I was being summoned to his room?

“Of course. Just give me a few more minutes to prepare her.” Natsumi closed the door and knelt in front of me. “Hey, Tashi. It’s going to be okay.”

“No, it isn’t. Did you hear what he said?” I hung my head and trembled. “I can’t do this.”

“You have to try. If you piss off the Admiral, he’ll have you thrown back in that cell smelling of charred flesh. Believe me, you don’t want that,” she said.

I shook my head. “But I don’t know what I’m doing. If he touches me again, I’m gonna scream, or bite his fingers off, or both.”

Glancing at the door, Natsumi sighed and kept her voice low. “Listen, if you want to get through this, you need to be smart. Take it from me, kid. Men like the Admiral are easy to manipulate.”

“How?” I said.

“In your case, it’s simple.” She smiled. “You have something he wants.”

I frowned and looked away. “Something I’m not willing to give.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder. “And if you’re as clever as you seem, you won’t have to.”

“So what do I do?” I said.

“Why do you think you’re here instead of dead? Because keeping you as a prize validates the Admiral’s power. Feed his ego enough, and he’ll give you anything you want.” She winked. “Just be smart about what you ask for.”

“Actually…. I do have some experience with that.” I furrowed my brow. “But I thought it was a dumb teenaged boy thing?”

“You’ll learn in time that some men never really grow up.” She stood and helped me to my feet. 

Natsumi led me to the door and handed me off to Katsu. He was wearing his mask, so I wondered how she could tell who he was. Maybe it was just familiarity.

_Okay. You can do this. It’s no big deal._ I took a deep breath.  _Just appeal to his ego. You can do this. You’ll survive. You always survive._

We reached Zhao’s quarters, and when I saw him standing just outside of the door, all of my bravado vanished.

_I can’t do this._ My heart raced.  _Please kill me._

Zhao smiled and nodded to Katsu. “Thank you. I’ll take it from here.”

Katsu handed me off to him and bowed. Zhao took me inside and sat me in front of a large table. It was covered in an array of maps, books, and scrolls. The rest of the room was heavily decorated unlike Natsumi’s, but it had the same dreary atmosphere. The only thing that truly caught my attention was a portrait hanging above on the wall. It was a man with long, black hair, a thin goatee, and gold eyes, and in his topknot was a golden, five pronged hair-clip, kind of a flame-like crown.

“Wait….” I glanced over it again. “Is that the current Fire Lord?”

“Very observant and correct.” He sat beside me. “He is  _your_ current Fire Lord as of today, and once I’m through with you, you’ll be a devout servant of the Fire Nation.”

Zhao cupped my face with his hand, and I froze. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t even know what I was doing.

“My, Natsumi did an excellent job.” He glanced down and frowned. “Though, I’ll have to get you better clothes. These don’t suit you.”

I had been given more modest clothing, which consisted of a red, short- sleeve tunic and burgundy pants. I wish I could’ve worn shoes, but Natsumi didn’t have anything that fit. 

I started to tremble. “Please, don’t.”

“I can do whatever I want with you. I thought you would’ve understood that by now,” he said.

“I….” I slid away from him. “Why can’t you just kill me? You had no problem doing it before.”

“And yet, here you are. Still alive like a pesky insect that can’t be squashed. No. As I’ve said, you will be of use to me.” He grinned. “And you should be honored. You’ll actually live to see the new world the Fire Nation creates unlike the Avatar and your other friends.”

_Come on. You have to humor him._ I glanced at some of the maps. “And what kind of world would that be? What’s it like?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He grabbed my tunic and pulled me closer. “Now, how about a kiss for your master?”

I froze again. Natsumi was wrong. I couldn’t do this. Teasing teenage boys was one thing. It was fun watching them get so easily flustered, and you know, the fact that I was also a teenager. Here I was trapped with a middle-aged creep, and I was completely terrified.

“What’s the matter, little air-bender?” He chuckled. “Does being around a real man make you nervous?”

_Screw feeding his ego._ I closed my eyes.  _If it was any larger, it’d sink this ship._

I started imagining someone else in Zhao’s place. At first, I thought of Jet, but I didn’t want the Freedom Fighters to be on this egomaniac’s radar. I then thought of Sokka. It would be difficult to fake an attraction, but at least it would seem plausible.

However, when I opened my eyes, I saw Zuko appear before me. He was dressed in that black tunic he wore when he rescued Aang and me, and his ponytail was falling over his shoulder. I was too surprised to say anything, and could only stare at the vision I had summoned in front of me. 

“Looks like someone got in way over their head.” His tone was cocky, but it didn’t hold the terrifying edge that Zhao’s did. “I bet you want me to save you again, don’t you?”

I had only been taunting the prince before, but now that I had a chance to really look at him, he was very cute. He was probably even more handsome before the scar. How did he get burned like that to begin with? It was clearly by a fire-bender because it was too precise. 

_No. He’s the Fire Nation Prince. I can’t feel anything for him._ I blinked.  _Do I feel anything?_

There had to be a reason he appeared instead of what I intended, but before I could dwell on it further, the vision of him vanished. I was back in the room with Zhao, who was watching me with a smug grin, and my lips felt swollen and sore.

“See. Was that so bad?” he said.

“Why couldn’t it have been you?” My gaze became unfocused, and I realized it was because I was crying. “Zuko.”

Zhao ensnared me by the neck and slammed me against the wall. “How dare you ignore me, you half-breed peasant!”

I trembled under his hold, tears still spilling down my face, and I could feel the heat bristling from his fingers. “I’m sorry. I….”

“You are my prisoner. You belong to me!” He tightened his grip. “And you will not think about any other man, especially that worthless excuse of a prince!”

For a split second, my confusion overrode my fear, and I spoke without thinking. “But isn’t he  _your_ prince? Show some respect.”

“Respect?” Narrowing his eyes, Zhao removed his hand from my neck before slapping me again. “What would you or that fool know about respect? Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation by his own father several years ago.”

I dropped to the floor and clutched my face. “B… banished?”

“That’s right, my little air-bender.” He pulled me up by my hair. “Prince Zuko is a traitor and a disgrace to the Fire Nation, and you will not utter another word about him in my presence again. Do I make myself clear?”

_So that’s why they aren’t working together, but I wonder what Zuko did to end up banished?_ I met Zhao’s gaze. “Why? Are you two rivals or something?”

His left eye twitched, and he gave a rough tug on my hair. “I said do I make myself clear!”

I could tell by the look in his eyes that my suspicion was correct. I had seen it in Jet’s more than once. Zuko must’ve done something to specifically piss Zhao off, and I pondered how far I could push this situation. Once again, my fear was overridden, and I gladly accepted this chance to wound Zhao’s pride.

“Well, can you blame me, sir? I mean, the Prince is just so much more fun than you are. Not to mention cuter. Much cuter.” I looked away with a sigh. “I was actually disappointed when I saw you on the riverboats instead of him. But now that I know he’s a traitor to the Fire Nation, it’ll make my next dance with him all the more enticing.”

What happened next was a giant blur. I landed sideways on the floor. My face stung like mad. There was shouting, and fire, and items flying all around the room. There was more shouting, but I couldn’t make out what was said. I was crying harder, and I couldn’t stop. In other words, I screwed up.

Before I knew it, I had been dragged down into the brig of Zhao’s ship. Tears spilled from my eyes as he lashed a whip of fire across my back. I bit my lip so hard that it started to bleed, but I refused to scream aloud. I wouldn’t fall apart in front of him.

Once Zhao was done with me, he left me alone to bleed to death in the cell, or so I had thought. Natsumi arrived three hours later to patch me up, but I was forced to remain in the cell. It was two days before she finally convinced Zhao to release me after noticing that I had gotten sick.

I choked my way through another coughing fit while Natsumi rubbed a cold cloth over my forehead. Every part of my body felt like it was burning, and even the cold water wasn’t enough to relieve it. 

Natsumi watched me with frustrated eyes as she dipped the cloth back into the bucket of water beside her. “The fever should subside after a day. Luckily, I was allowed to bring you back to my quarters before it got any worse.”

I gave her a weak smile. “Don’t happen to have any frozen frogs on hand, do you?”

She scrunched her nose with a frown. “What? Is that some kinda peasant remedy?”

“Something like that.” I coughed, my voice hoarse.

“I’m going to need you to sit up, so I can change your bandages,” she said.

Natsumi helped me sit upright and turned me, so my back was facing her. She gently removed the soiled bandages and started cleaning my wound again.

“So what happened?” She wrung out the cloth. “I thought you were going to play along?”

“It turns out that I’m not very good at seducing grown men.” I hung my head. “I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do, and I might’ve said a few things that pissed him off.”

She sighed. “Yeah, well, if you screw up again, he might just leave you to die next time.”

“Fine by me.” I scoffed. “Death would be a much more honorable fate than this.”

“Seems like a pathetic way to go if you ask me.” She rubbed some ointment onto my back. “At least for someone like you.”

“Oh? You’re rooting for me now? I thought your allegiance was with Zhao?” I said.

She picked up a clean bandage and began to redress my wounds. “It is. However, I can’t deny that you’re impressive. Anyone else would’ve broken after what he did to you, and yet, you’re resilient as ever. I’m not sure if it’s because you’re strong, or if you’re just plain crazy.”

“A little bit of both at this point.” I stared at the wall ahead of me, trying my best to stay awake, but exhaustion was overtaking me. 

She nodded. “Either way, dying on us so soon would be a waste of your potential.”

I closed my eyes. “I guess I’ll figure something out.”

“Just remember what I told you,” she said.

….

Once I had recovered enough, Natsumi brought me to the kitchens, so she could keep an eye on me while doing her job. I was placed at the end of the long table closest to her.

She set down a bowl of soup in front of me. “There. That should get your strength back up.”

“Um. I can’t.” I moved my hands, which were still cuffed behind my back.

She glanced at the door while pursing her lips. Sighing, she pulled a pin out of her topknot and stepped behind me. With a  _‘clink’_ , my right hand was free. My arms had grown sore from being held in that position for so long, and I cringed as she moved my hands in front of me. 

Natsumi locked the cuffs back in place. “Better?” 

I nodded. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She walked back to the stove.

Lifting the bowl to my lips, I ate in silence. It was weird how similar Fire Nation food was to the Earth Kingdom’s. The only difference was how spicy they liked everything, but for some reason it didn’t bother me. The door opened, and I glanced up to see a man or well… boy. He only looked a few years older than me, and he entered the kitchens with a slight swagger in his step. 

“So the guys were right.” He sat down directly across from where Natsumi was working with a sly grin on his face. “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

Turning around, Natsumi glanced the soldier up and down with a raised eyebrow, and replied with a dull, “Oh, you must be the newbie.”

“That’s right, sweetness. Name’s Eiji.” He picked up a peach from the basket on the table. “Make sure to remember it, and if you ever get lonely, don’t hesitate–”

Natsumi tossed one of her knives at him, and it landed right between his fingers as he was about to take a bite out of the peach. With a yelp, he dropped it on the table and checked his hand. There wasn’t a scratch on it.

She stepped closer and pulled the knife out of the peach. “Rule number one of working on this ship. _I’m._ _Off._ _Limits._ ”

Laughter echoed into the kitchens from outside the hallway, and Eiji glared back at the open doorway.

“You two set me up!” he said.

Rolling her eyes, Natsumi glanced toward the doorway. “Chaiya, Toshiro, stop playing around and get in here.”

Two men in their thirties entered the kitchens while holding each other, for they couldn’t stand up straight through their fits of laughter. I remained silent as they sat down beside Eiji, who was still scowling at them.

“Did you hear him scream, Toshiro?” Chaiya said.

“Yeah. Sounded like a five-year-old girl.” Toshiro wrestled Eiji into a headlock and ruffled his hair. “Welcome to the team, newbie.”

“Ugh.” Eiji groaned and shoved him off. “Why are military girls always so uptight?”

“Because we have work to do. If you wanna mess around, go find one of those Earth Kingdom brothels.” Natsumi started handing out bowls of food and glanced at me with a smile. “See what I mean?”

I let out a small giggle, catching the others’ attention.

Chaiya’s cold eyes narrowed at me with disgust, and he turned up his nose. “Oh yeah. I forgot you got stuck on babysitting duty, Natsumi. That can’t be fun.”

She shrugged. “She actually isn’t much trouble.”

“Odd.” Toshiro made a light hum. “I thought she pissed off the Admiral a couple of days ago, and you should’ve seen her when we were out hunting the Avatar. The girl was like some ruthless savage. Just came out of nowhere.”

Chaiya huffed while shoving some food into his mouth. “Didn’t surprise me. The Earth Kingdom is full of savages.”

“Well, like I said, she’s been on her best behavior around me.” Natsumi grimaced. “And as far as savages go, can you not talk with your mouth full?”

I narrowed my eyes at the men, but didn’t say anything. 

“Uh oh. She didn’t like that. Got something to say, cutie pie?” Eiji glanced me over. “Hey, you’re actually closer to my age. Perfect. So what’s your name? Is it true that you’re an air-bender?”

“Don’t bother, newbie.” Chaiya shook his head. “She’s the Admiral’s toy.”

Eiji pouted. “Do you think he’d be up for sharing?”

“And what makes you think I wanna be shared?” I set my bowl down. “Especially with a runt like you.”

“Runt?” Eiji stood, smoke seeping from his hands as he slammed them on the table. “I’m the son of a general and noblewoman, you little mud-bastard!”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re the runt on this ship. Oh, and it’s  _dust_ not  _mud_ ,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“The combination of air and earth is dust. Mud is earth and water. If you’re gonna insult my mixed nationality, at least get it right.” I smirked. “Though, I suppose I can’t blame you for not knowing the difference. You don’t seem that bright to begin with.”

He glared at me. “Take that back now, you–!”

Natsumi whacked him across the head. “That’s enough.”

“But she–” He rubbed his head.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re acting like a spoiled brat.” She folded her arms. “Chaiya already told you that the girl belongs to the Admiral.”

Returning to his seat, Eiji leaned his cheek against his right hand and huffed. “I don’t care what she is to the Admiral. That filthy peasant has no right to speak to any of us that way. Besides, you can’t fault me for trying. Being trapped at sea without any girls to impress is gonna be torture.”

Toshiro chuckled. “You’ll live, Casanova.”

I stared at my empty bowl with a frown. There was that phrase again. I didn’t belong to anyone, especially not Zhao, and being referred to like this made me furious.

Eiji looked at Chaiya and Toshiro. “But aren’t you two the slightest bit curious? I mean she is an air-bender. Think of what kind fun that’d be.”

“Considering I have a wife and three children waiting for me back home, no. I’m not curious.” Chaiya glanced at me again with that same snobbish expression of pure disgust. “And even if I was still single, I would never sully myself with these foreign harlots. Nothing compares to the beauty and class of a Fire Nation woman.”

Toshiro shrugged. “She’s too skinny for me.”

_Just listen to these creeps. How dare they talk about me like this?_ I felt a hand on my shoulder and glanced up.

“You okay?” Natsumi said.

I lowered me head. “Just fine.”

I wanted so bad to make these men regret their words, but I felt I said enough. I was already in enough trouble, and I didn’t want to stir up the buzzard-wasps’ nest anymore than I already had.


	16. A Piece of History

 “How you like me now?

Did I succeed and make you proud?”

-The Pretty Reckless 

* * *

 The following week or so dragged on like a never ending nightmare. Without Natsumi I would've lost my mind, and I was already tinkering on the brink as it was. My slip up had cost a lot, and Zhao was even more determined to break me. I maintained my facade of obedience as much as I could, but it seemed like nothing I did was enough.

Right now, we were outside on the upper deck. I was still in chains, but I had been allowed to have my hands tied in front of me. I had been given fancier black and red robes to wear, but they were once again more revealing than I was comfortable with.

"Recite the Fire Nation oath," Zhao said.

I met his gaze. "My life I give to my country. With my hands, I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him. With my mind, I seek ways to better my country. And with my feet, may our March of Civilization continue."

He smiled. "Good. Very good. Now, list your knowledge of the Fire Lords."

I nodded. "Fire Lord Sozin began the war to spread the Fire Nation's greatness throughout the rest of the world. He was as patient as he was clever. For instance, in the Battle of Han Tui, his army was outnumbered, but he was able to calculate his advantage. The Earth Kingdom army was downwind, and the area was suffering from a drought, leading to their defenses being easily burned down. Sozin then waited for the comet to begin the war in full, starting with the Air Nomads. He died an old and successful man."

Inside, I trembled with rage. Spread greatness? How could anyone think that murdering millions of innocent people is greatness?

"Fire Lord Azulon took the throne after his father's death and was a fire-bending prodigy. He led the Fire Nation to victory in the conquest of the Hu Xin Provinces and the Battle of Garsai. He also ordered the raids on the Southern Water Tribe and captured their water-benders until the tribe was weakened into nothing."

Well, it wasn't completely nothing, but Sokka and Katara said that after their father and the other men left, they didn't have enough hands to keep everything as stable as it was before. Although, now that I thought about it, Sozin had failed to find Aang, so Azulon must've started the raids just in case he had been reborn again.

"Azulon had two sons, Iroh and Ozai. Iroh was the original crown-prince and is known as The Dragon of the West. As a General, he laid siege to the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se, for six hundred days and managed to breach the outer wall. However, he was defeated, and for his dishonorable failure, he was passed over for the throne in favor of Ozai."

I furrowed my brow as I remembered my last encounter with Zuko. He had called the old man traveling with him his uncle.

"Fire Lord Ozai has contributed many industrial and technological advances and is expected to win the war by summer's end. He has only one heir, Princess Azula."

With a sudden sway, the ship finally docked at a village. Land, oh sweet land. I'm not used to traveling on the water, and to be honest, it wasn't my favorite thing. I could barely keep my balance half of the time, and it was so monotonous and boring. Granted, it's not like I could do much except chat with Natsumi and be a pretty decoration for Zhao's entertainment.

One of the soldiers approached us and bowed to Zhao. "The rhinos have been dispatched, sir."

"Perfect." Zhao stood and looked at me. "Are you ready to prove your loyalty, my little air-bender?"

_He can't even be bothered to learn my name. Ugh, the day I get to collapse his lungs will be the greatest day in world history._ I bowed my head. "Yes, Admiral Zhao. I am most honored for the opportunity."

He smiled and walked over to me. "We'll be making a trip into the mountains. Play your role right, and you'll be free of your chains."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

With one hand, Zhao lifted me to my feet, and with the other, he scooped me into his arms. I tried my hardest not to cringe as he carried me down the ramp of the ship. Waiting for us at the bottom were komodo rhinos, and he mounted the one at the head of the group with me riding sidesaddle in front of him. The rest of the soldiers mounted their rhinos, and we made our way out of the village and into the mountains.

We traveled a long way, and it was evening by the time we reached Zhao's destination. There was a strange, bell-like structure in the snow, and it had Air Nomad symbols on it. We continued past it to a group of man made caves below, and I furrowed my brow. Something wasn't right about this place.

"Alright, men. Keep out of sight until I give the signal," Zhao said.

The other soldiers guided the rhinos into one of the caves on the end. Keeping me in his arms, Zhao dismounted his rhino, and one of the soldiers took it to hide with the rest. Zhao carried me into the main cave in the center. Even with the glow of the setting sun, I could barely see anything. After we were far enough inside, Zhao set me on the ground and proceeded to light a bunch of candles.

I gasped. "What is this?"

The cave was filled with a whole bunch of ancient artifacts, and upon examining some of them, they had Air Nomad symbols on them.

"Feels just like home, doesn't it?" Zhao chuckled. "Oh, that's right. You're a half-breed from the Earth Kingdom. This junk holds no meaning to you."

"I suppose not, sir." I suppressed my urge to scream. "But may I ask what all of this is about?"

"This place was created by Fire Lord Sozin at the start of the war as a trap for the air-benders who escaped his assault on the Temples," he said.

My eyes widened. "What?"

"Ingenious, isn't it? Using the air-benders everyday objects and desire for refuge as bait." He smirked. "And now you'll help me trap one last air-bender."

_No. Aang._ I looked at all the artifacts. "What do you want me to do?"

"Keep the Avatar occupied long enough for us to capture him." Zhao gripped my right arm and squeezed it. "If you try to warn him or help him escape, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

His tone was venomous, and his hand warmed up and burned through my sleeve.

"Yes, sir." I winced. "I will not fail you."

Releasing me, he smiled and picked up an air nomad's robe from the ground.

"Stay still and remain quiet." He placed it over me.

Zhao exited the cave, and all I could feel was dread. When I was little, I had always wondered if other air-benders had survived like my great-grandmother, and now I finally had my answer.

_They survived only to be killed like this._ I shuddered. _How can the Fire Nation be this cruel?_

It was hard to explain, but simply being in this cave made an eerie sensation crawl up my spine. It was like I could feel the ghosts of the previous victims. They were screaming and crying for me to leave, to not end up like them.

_I won't. We won't end up like any of you. I promise._ I fought the tears that were burning to escape my eyes. _My facade for Zhao ends here. He's a fool if he thinks I'll ever betray Aang._

The hours passed, and it wasn't until super late into the night that I heard footsteps.

"Wow! This place is full of air-bender stuff!" Aang's cheerful voice rang through the cave. "Hello?"

I shifted under the robes, but I couldn't get them off of me. "Aang, don't!"

"Huh? How do you know my name?" Aang stepped closer, and I felt his hand touch my shoulder. "Did you send for me?"

I shifted again until I fell onto my back, and the robe fell off of me.

He gasped. "Tashi?"

"Aang, you have to get out of here. It's a trap. Zhao is…." I said.

"Now! Get him!" Zhao called from outside.

Soldiers piled into the cave and swarmed around Aang. He stood in front of me, but one of the soldiers ensnared him in a net.

I turned onto my side and struggled against my cuffs. "No!"

Zhao stepped into the cave. "Make sure he's bound up tightly. We wouldn't want him escaping again."

Aang glared at him. "Zhao, you're a bit far away from the sea for an Admiral."

"One doesn't catch pheasant-squirrels by staying on a boat. You hunt them where they _live_." Zhao smirked. "It also helps that I have such lovely bait."

He gestured to me, and my stomach twisted with nausea. I swore his death would be painfully slow.

"What's going on?" Aang said.

I met his gaze. "This cave was used to capture air-benders who escaped Sozin's attack. Zhao must've used my great grandmother's necklace to lure you here."

"That is correct. But I'm afraid I am disappointed, my little air-bender. I told you not to warn the Avatar, and you almost blew our cover," Zhao said.

I scowled at him. "I'll never be loyal to you, you disgusting creep. You and the rest of the Fire Nation deserve to burn in an inferno of your own cruelty and hatred."

"You first." Zhao narrowed his eyes. "Men, take them to the ship!"

The soldiers moved to take us in, and I looked at Aang. He smiled and winked at me. I nodded. Now that I had help, I wasn't going to let Zhao win. Aang spun into a whirl wind, knocking the soldiers away and freeing himself from the net.

"So this cave was used to lure in air-benders, huh?" Aang flipped through the air. "I bet none of you know what these items are."

"You idiots! Hold him!" Zhao said.

He set his sights on me, and I took a deep breath and blew a large gust of air at him to hold him back.

Aang landed by a large, brass horn and flipped it into an upright position. "Tashi, try one of these horns. It has a much better effect."

I quickly sat up, and taking another deep breath, I played the horn as hard I could. The crass sound stunned the soldiers, allowing the force of my breath to knock them away. Aang rushed over to me, and he hooked my cuffed hands around his neck, allowing me to chicky-piggy-back ride him. Zhao shot a fire blast at us, but Aang leapt out of the way.

"Enough! I'll bring both of your charred remains to the Fire Lord!" he snarled.

Aang landed by this large, green, rolling pin thing and stood on the handle in the center.

"Hey, Zhao! Ever seen one of these?" He gave the Admiral a mischievous smirk. "Curious to find out what it can do?"

Not giving Zhao a chance to respond or attack, Aang used his air-bending to spin the large rolling pin. It went haywire, swirling and crashing into all of the soldiers.

"The Dorje was used in rituals, but my friends and I found out that if you spun them too hard inside a room, this would happen!" Aang bended his staff up into the air and caught it with his teeth.

He carried me out of the cave, and given how destructive that Dorje was, it didn't look like Zhao and his men were coming after us any time soon.

Aang opened his glider and positioned it over us. "Tashi, give me a boost."

I took a deep breath and combined my air-bending with Aang's to launch ourselves into the air. As we flew off into the distance, I heard Zhao's screams of anguish.

"Nice try!" Aang laughed. "Are you okay, Tashi?"

I didn't respond and stared at the mountain terrain below us. It was almost surreal. Had I really escaped Zhao? Was I really with Aang right now?

"Tashi?" His voice sounded concerned, but I was still too stunned to speak.

Morning arrived by the time Aang and I returned to the camp site. Hearing someone call his name, I spotted Katara and Sokka running towards us.

"There he is!" Katara waved.

We landed, and Aang struggled to deal with his glider and me at the same time.

He gave Katara and Sokka a bashful smile. "A little help please."

"Yeah, but who's…." Sokka blinked before his eyes widened. "Tashi?"

"Oh my gosh." Katara rushed to our aid and helped unhook my arms from his neck. "What happened, Aang? Where did you go? Tashi, are you alright? We were worried sick."

I fell against her and was still too stunned to say anything.

Aang frowned. "Zhao used Tashi to lure me into a trap, and we escaped."

"Well, the important thing is that both of you are okay." Katara looked at her brother. "Sokka, get that lock picker you got from Teo's dad."

"On it," he said.

I relaxed once I was able to sit down by the fire. Momo jumped into my lap and started chattering at me. Katara sat next to me while Aang sat on the other side. Sokka returned with some strange device and knelt in front of me. With two clicks, my legs were free, and then my hands. The skin on my wrists and ankles was red and sore, but I was too glad to be mobile again to care.

"I should be able to heal these." Katara looked up from my wounds and met my gaze. "Tashi, what happened? We were so worried. We thought…."

She choked on the last sentence, but I could already guess what she was going to say.

"We're so sorry we couldn't save you sooner." Aang's voice trembled while he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Zhao said he'd spare you if I surrendered, but Jeong Jeong stopped the deal. It turned into a huge fight, and we were forced to flee. The last thing we heard was Zhao shouting that he was gonna kill you."

_If only…._ I lowered my head.

"Yeah." Sokka glanced me over and blushed. "Uh… what's with the getup?"

I shifted my gaze from Momo, to Katara, to Aang, to Sokka, and then to Appa. I was finally free. I survived Zhao's torment and was back with my friends. My chest felt heavy, tears welling up in my eyes, and I couldn't stop them from falling.

Aang furrowed his brow. "Tashi, what's wrong?"

Tearing the ribbon from my hair, I tossed it into the fire and buried my face in my hands.

Katara hugged me. "It's gonna be okay."

I felt the additional weight of Sokka and Aang as they joined in on the embrace, and Appa roared behind us. I was home. Everything would be okay.


	17. Twice Shy

 “My freakness is on the loose,  
  
And running all over you.”  
  
-Kehlani 

* * *

 "I'm not one to complain, but can't Appa fly any higher?" Sokka groaned. "At this rate, we'll never reach the Northern Water Tribe in time to warn them about the siege."

Aang glared at him. "I have an idea. Why don't we all get on your back, and you can fly us to the North Pole?"

"We'll make it." Katara's voice trembled a little before developing an edge of determination. "We have to."

We were nearing the North Pole and had been flying for several days straight over the open ocean. The others had taken to bickering amongst themselves from the monotony, and I tried my best to drown them out.

I was reclined against one side of the saddle with my legs stretched out, and my head was tilted slightly upside down, allowing my hair to freely blow in the wind. I had changed into some spare clothes and burned the ones Zhao had placed me in. Unfortunately, they weren't as suited for the ice cold weather as I would've liked, and I focused on my breathing while I stared off in a daze.

"Tashi? Hello, Tashi?" Sokka waved his hand over my face. "You awake?"

I sighed. "What?"

"Are you sure you didn't find out anything else from Zhao?" He leaned over me, so we were making eye contact. "Like when he was planning to attack or any specific strategies?"

I folded my arms. "No."

"Are you sure? Maybe there was a hint of something?" he said.

"No." I closed my eyes and let out a tiny groan that sounded more like a growl. "I already told you everything. Now stop pestering me. Geez."

He frowned and went back to his spot. "I'm just trying to make sure we're prepared."

"If that's all she knows, Sokka, that's all she knows. Pestering her isn't gonna change the information." Katara looked at me. "And, Tashi, you shouldn't be lying on your back."

I shrugged. "It's been worse. My skin turned numb in some areas years ago, so I can barely feel anything at this point."

"Yeah, but even after my attempt to heal it, it's still bleeding from whatever Zhao did to you." She placed a hand on my arm. "When we reach the Northern Water Tribe, you should have it looked at."

"Whatever. If it means you'll stop nagging me, I'll do it." I turned on my side.

She furrowed her brow. "Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?" I said.

"It's just that–" She glanced away before meeting my gaze again. "Well, ever since Aang rescued you, you've been acting different. You're snappy whenever we try to talk to you, and then you ignore us for hours on end. You barely eat, and I know you haven't been sleeping."

She gestured to the dark circles that had formed under my eyes, and I groaned. "Stop worrying about me. I'm fine."

"No, you are _not_ fine, and we have every right to be worried," she said.

I closed my eyes and curled myself until I could hug my arms around my knees. Katara was right. My time under Zhao's capture continued to plague my thoughts, but how could I explain what I went through to the others? The idea of mentioning it to Aang and Sokka made me uncomfortable. I mean, I know they both cared about me, but they're boys. There's just certain things you don't talk about with guys. All I had was Katara, and she was only fourteen. Would she even understand?

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Appa swerved to dodge a wave of ice that was coming toward us. Aang pulled the reigns and tried to guide us away, but Appa was hit and started going into a spin. We screamed and held onto the saddle for dear life. With a splash, we landed in the ocean and a sheet of ice formed around Appa to keep us from escaping.

"Is everyone okay?" Aang looked back at us.

"I think I just lost my lunch, but other than that, doing great," Sokka said.

I groaned. "What was that?"

Katara scanned our surroundings, and a bright smile appeared on her face. "They're water-benders. We found the Water Tribe."

I sat up and saw a group of boats surround us. They had waves and moon symbols on them, and the water-benders steering them were dressed like Sokka and Katara.

One of the water-benders stepped out onto the ice and walked over to us. "What business do you have here?"

Aang smiled. "I'm the Avatar, and these are my friends. I'm here to find a water-bending master to train me."

Sokka moved to the edge of the saddle. "And we have important information to deliver to the Chief about the Fire Nation. It's urgent."

The water-bender's eyes widened a bit before he bowed. "The Avatar, of course. We heard news of your return a few months ago. Please, allow us to escort you and your friends into the city."

The water-bender returned to his boat, and all of them unfroze Appa. We were led to the city, which was hidden behind a huge wall of compacted ice. The water-benders opened it for us, allowing Appa to swim through, and once we got past the wall, I couldn't believe it. The whole citadel was made of ice and snow with water canals for roads.

"This place is beautiful," Katara said.

"Yeah." I glanced around. "It'll be a shame when the Fire Nation shows up to destroy all of it."

She looked at me. "They won't."

I watched the Water Tribe citizens and noted how peaceful and happy they looked. It was like the war had barely affected them at all.

I frowned. "I hope not."

We reached the main part of the citadel where the palace resided. Everyone dismounted Appa, and I have to admit I wasn't too crazy about walking directly on ice. I took one step, and my foot slipped, making me fall on my behind.

"This is gonna take some getting used to," I said.

Katara chuckled and held out her hand. "Here. I'll help you."

We entered the palace and walked into what seemed to be a meeting room. There were a few people already there, and they seemed to be whatever the Water Tribes considered upper class. One of the water-benders leading us rushed over to a middle-aged man, who was wearing a more elaborate parka and accessories. They shared a few words before they both walked over to us.

"Greetings. I am Chief Arnook." The man bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Avatar."

"Please. Just Aang is alright," Aang said.

Katara smiled. "I'm Katara. My brother, Sokka, and I are from the Southern Water Tribe."

Arnook nodded. "Of course. Members of our sister tribe are always welcome."

I stepped forward. "And I'm Tashi of the Earth Kingdom. We have urgent news. The Fire Nation is planning to lay siege to the Northern Water Tribe. You must prepare your people right away."

"What?" Arnook eyes widened a little before his expression became more stern. "When do you expect they'll arrive?"

"The commanding officer leading the siege is Admiral Zhao, and he's stationed in the Northwestern mountains of the Earth Kingdom. So I suspect within the next month," I said.

A boy, who looked my age or maybe a little older, walked over to us and narrowed his eyes at me. "And how do we know he's not on his way as we speak? You could've led this Admiral Choy right to us."

Arnook placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hahn, show your respect to our guests."

I folded my arms. "Because we would've noticed and stopped him. And two, _Zhao_ knows you guys have the home advantage. He plans on acquiring a massive invasion force, and gathering that many soldiers takes time."

Sokka looked at me. "Hey. You never mentioned anything about a massive invasion force."

"I didn't?" I blinked before shrugging. "Well, now you know."

Arnook nodded to me. "Thank you, Tashi. The information you provided is invaluable. For now, I will have all of you set up in one of our guest houses, and I'll make the announcement at the feast tonight."

Aang bowed. "Thank you very much."

"Wait." Katara held up her hand. "Is it possible that you have some available healers? Tashi was injured during our last encounter with some soldiers, and she needs medical attention right away."

"But I…." I said.

She nudged me. "You need to have it looked at. What if it gets infected, and you end up sick?"

"Hahn, why don't you escort her to Yugoda?" Arnook said.

"Yes, Chief." Hahn bowed to him before turning to me with narrowed eyes. "Follow me."

I followed him out of the palace while trying my best not to slip.

"So Earth Kingdom, huh?" Hahn glanced at me. "What's a girl like you doing traveling with the Avatar? Shouldn't you be at home getting married or something?"

"My village was burned down by the Fire Nation years ago. I don't have a home." I rolled my eyes. "And I'm traveling with Aang, so I can master air-bending."

His eyes widened a little. "But you said…."

"I am of Air Nomad and Earth Kingdom birth. Now are you done playing twenty questions? I'm very tired," I said with an annoyed edge in my voice.

"I'm one of the high-ranking warriors in our tribe. It's my job to ask questions and make sure you're not a spy." He stepped in front of me and glanced me over. "After all, it's kinda suspicious that you know so much about the enemy's plan. I mean, you're just a girl. How could you know anything unless it was some kinda set up?"

_Is this guy for real?_ I glared at him. "I know because I fought against the Admiral himself. He's the reason I'm going to this Yugoda person in the first place."

"They let women be warriors in the Earth Kingdom? What a joke." He snorted and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Listen, Tari, you should save the fighting for the boys. The air-benders, from what I've heard, were completely wiped out, and I'm sure the Avatar would be devastated if something happened to his girl."

"First off, it's _Tashi_. Second, I'm not Aang's girl. He's twelve, seriously… ew." I stuck out my tongue. "And third–"

Ripping Hahn's hand from my shoulder, I yanked his arm behind his back and bent his fingers until he was in so much pain that he couldn't retaliate. He dropped to his knees and hissed out through his gritted teeth.

"Save the sexist crap for someone who cares. You might be high-ranking around here, but I can tell that you're too wet behind the ears to survive outside of this sheltered ice block." I twisted his arm further. "So show some respect for a _real warrior_ , and keep your mouth shut."

I released Hahn, and he collapsed on the ice. Glaring at me, he jumped to his feet to throw a punch, but I dodged out of the way while tripping him with my foot. He fell face first and skidded across the ice.

I laughed. "If that's the best you got, you won't last five seconds against Zhao and his men."

"Why you…!" He sat up and clutched his bleeding nose. "Ow, you're gonna pay for this."

"Aw, is the little boy gonna cry? Why don't you run along to mommy while I find Yugoda on my own." I grinned. _I hope this idiot isn't the standard around here. Otherwise, we're in big trouble._

"What is going on here?"

I turned around. A girl, who looked our age and was dressed in an elegant, purple parka walked over to us. What truly caught my attention was her hair. It was pure white like snow and made her look exotic.

"Princess Yue." Hahn quickly stood up and bowed while keeping his nose covered. "Perfect timing. This Earth Kingdom intruder assaulted me, and you're a witness. Tell your father to have her thrown out immediately."

Yue shifted her gaze from him to me. "Earth Kingdom? Who are you?"

"My name's Tashi. I arrived with the Avatar." I gave her a slight bow before gesturing to Hahn. "Your friend over here needs a lesson in manners. He has the audacity to accuse me of being a spy and insult my status as a warrior after my friends and I traveled all this way to help your tribe fight the Fire Nation."

"Oh, yes. I saw all of you on that giant, fuzzy creature. It is nice to meet you, Tashi." She smiled at me before turning her attention to Hahn. "Why must you always act so pompous, Hahn? You may be a capable warrior, but that doesn't mean you need to go around proving it everyone. Go take yourself to one of the healers, and try your best not to cause anymore trouble for the rest of the day."

Hahn gasped. "You're taking her side? But she's an outsider."

"Tashi is a friend of the Avatar, and while I may not know her yet, I know _you_." Yue folded her arms. "Now, march."

"Fine. But you won't be able to boss me around forever, Princess." Hahn sneered at me and stormed off in another direction.

Yue looked at me. "Sorry about him. Hahn has huge ego and a bad reputation with the other girls."

"Oh, so he's a womanizer on top of being an idiot. Good to know." I glanced around. "Anyway, I was supposed to be escorted to Yugoda's. Maybe you could help me, Princess Yue?"

She nodded. "I'd be happy to. Follow me."

….

I stared at the flag above my bed and knitted my brow in frustration. Would I ever return home? I knew the Avatar was traveling north to the other Water Tribe, but there hadn't been any sign of him since I wasted my time with that infuriating bounty hunter. It didn't help that Zhao was impeding my progress with his new power as Admiral. It would only be a matter of time before he'd capture the Avatar, and I'd lose everything.

I stood and began to pace. _There has to be a way._ _If only I could find him._

Of course, I'd have to get past his friends first. The two Water Tribe peasants were no threat in a fight, but they still played a key role in their little group. The boy was clearly the brains. He was the one who turned the pirates against me, and he figured out how to defeat the Shirshu with perfume.

His sister, however, had a strong will. She'd never give up the Avatar even if her own life was in danger. Then there was the newest addition, and she was an air-bender no less. I wondered if there were more like her, but I couldn't find any reports or records on other sightings.

_She's also more of a threat._ I leaned against the wall and folded my arms.

The air-bender girl wasn't a master of her element from what I've seen. The Avatar dodged my every move and was always on the defensive. It was like trying to catch the… well… the wind. The girl, on the other hand, was aggressive and powered through all of my attacks. Her movements were almost similar to a fire-bender's now that I dwelled on it.

I touched my scar where she had kissed me. She also wasn't above using sneaky tactics to win, and I don't know why I let that throw me off guard. Then again, I don't know why I helped her back at the Pohuai Stronghold either.

_My father wants the Avatar._ I closed my eyes. _I should've just left her there._

Yet, when I saw her pout at me with those pleading, large gray eyes, I couldn't. I shouldn't have cared, but I did. I convinced myself that I freed her because she'd be useful later, but was that really the truth?

I removed my hand from my face and shook my head. _Of course it's the truth. She's just a half-breed, Earth Kingdom peasant. She means nothing to me, and I'll just have to remember to be more careful around her next time._

The sound of my door creaking open pulled me from my thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I saw my uncle enter the room, and I turned away.

I sighed. "For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn."

"No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem," Uncle said.

Hearing another set of footsteps, I turned toward the door and saw Zhao walk inside.

"I'm taking your crew. I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole," Zhao said.

"What!" I stomped over to them. "Uncle, is that true?"

"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone." Uncle covered his face with his sleeve as though he was crying. "Even the cook."

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar." Zhao narrowed his eyes at me. "But I can't have you getting in my way again."

I was so furious that I could strangle him, and my uncle had to hold me back. Zhao had been a thorn in my side since I first found the Avatar, and now he was about steal any chance I had away. If only I could burn the smug look off of his face. However, as I glared at him, I noticed something different. It was faint under the dim, red light, but I could see a scar that ran from Zhao's chin to his right ear.

"What happened to your face, Zhao?" I pulled away from my uncle. "Instigate another fight you couldn't win?"

For a second, Zhao's eyes sparked with fury before he recovered his composure.

"Oh, I won the battle and the war even if the little wench doesn't realize it yet. Although, I can't quite wrap my head around what she sees in you, Prince Zuko." He grinned. "But I suppose you could learn a thing or two from her. As you've observed, she's willing to do what you were too cowardly to."

_She?_ I blinked.

Zhao watched me as though he was waiting for a certain reaction, and when I didn't give it to him, he frowned. I could only ponder who he was talking about, and why the mention of her almost set him off.

_And it's someone who knows me?_ I furrowed my brow. _It can't be Azula. She's never seen anything in me except someone to torment. And Zhao would never call the royal family's favorite a wench._

"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko," Zhao said.

My eyes widened as I realized that Zhao noticed my swords mounted on the wall. He pulled one down and started examining it.

"I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative," I said.

Zhao didn't seemed convinced, and as he ran his hand along the blade, I knew he could tell that it had been used. "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

"Just rumors. I don't think he is real," Uncle said.

"He's real, all right. He's a criminal and an enemy of the Fire Nation, but I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon." Zhao handed the sword to him and briefly glanced at me. "Along with that air-bending wench."

Uncle raised an eyebrow. "So it's true that another air-bender has survived?"

"Yes. She's one of the Avatar's companions, and apparently has close ties to the Blue Spirit. After he freed her and the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold, she tried to protect him and lead me off of his trail," Zhao said.

He watched me to see my reaction, but I was speechless and completely confused.

"But now that everything's back on track, I can't wait to see her face when she learns of her precious hero's fate." He nodded to my uncle before leaving. "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind."

Zhao closed my door as he stepped out, leaving my uncle and me alone. I snatched my sword from him and placed it back on the wall. It felt like everything that could go wrong was. I punched my fist into the wall. Flames burst across the metal before dispersing, and I screamed aloud.

"Calm down, Prince Zuko," Uncle said.

"Calm down? Calm down!" I turned around. "Do realize what this means? Without a crew, I'm finished, and you know Zhao will keep us from leaving the area on our own. It's over! Without the Avatar, I'll never restore my honor to my father and return home!"

I punched the wall again.

"Hope is not lost, Prince Zuko." He walked over to me. "You can still find a way."

"How, Uncle?" I collapsed on my bed. "The Avatar's probably at the North Pole by now, and I'll never make it there before Zhao without a ship."

Uncle knelt beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We'll figure out a plan. For now, just try to relax. You're not going to think clearly if you're all worked up."

I crossed my arms and looked away from him.

He sighed. "Well, you could always look at this from the bright side."

"What bright side?" I said.

"At least you earned a secret admirer." Uncle gave me a sheepish smile. "It seems like that air-bender girl has quite a little crush on you."

I groaned. "And what makes you think I want anything to do with some half-breed peasant? I don't even know what Zhao was talking about. I fought her one time. I hardly know her."

"Clearly you did something to impress her. Why else would she have kissed you back at the Abby?" he said.

_He saw that?_ I felt my face heat up and scowled. "That didn't mean anything. She tricked me to get the upper hand."

Uncle chuckled and stood up. "You still have much to learn in the ways of women, my nephew. While I'm sure there are exceptions, most would swoon over being rescued by a handsome prince."

"I didn't rescue anyone. That was the Blue Spirit," I said.

"Of course. My mistake. Hopefully, Zhao has also made the same mistake." Uncle gave me a knowing look before heading for the door. "I'm going to help send the crew on their way. Would you like to…?"

"If those traitors want to leave, they can help themselves." I looked away from him and focused my attention on the wall.

I heard my uncle sigh, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing, and then silence. Finally, the one thing I wanted. I wracked my brain, trying to figure out a way around this situation, but I was coming up empty. Every attempt became more and more frustrating until I gave up completely. I decided to sleep on it, but after closing my eyes for several minutes, I realized I wasn't tired. Well, I was, but I was too angry and stressed to relax enough. Instead, I stared up at the dark, metal walls around me, feeling defeated.

_That air-bender girl… what was her name? I know she said it._ Not able to remember, I frowned. _She must've given Zhao that scar. If she weren't my enemy, I'd congratulate her on pissing him off in a way I couldn't. Although, that does also mean she's more dangerous than I thought._

However, what confused me the most was Zhao alluding to her connection to me as myself vs my Blue Spirit alter ego. How did he know she had an interest in me, and why was she interested in the first place? Had my uncle's hunch been right? Had she been easily swayed from me rescuing her? It was strange. The air-bender girl wanted nothing to do with me when she found out I was the Prince of the Fire Nation, and she even threatened me to stay away from the Avatar.

_But she also protected my identity from Zhao despite holding no loyalty to me. He clearly thinks I care about her._ I shook my head. _The joke's on him. I have more important things to worry about than the actions of some crazy girl._


	18. Therapy

 “If love is my religion,  
  
Then the truth is untold.”  
  
-P.O.D. 

* * *

 "Here we are." Yue gestured to the large, ice hut ahead.

I nodded. "Thanks, Princess Yue. I can…."

My head suddenly felt as light as a feather, and the world spun around me. It happened so fast that I didn't realize that I had collapsed on the ground. I looked up at Yue, who knelt beside me with a furrowed brow.

"Oh my goodness. Are you alright, Tashi?" she said.

"I–" I touched my forehead. "Could you help me inside? Please?"

"Of course." Yue helped me to my feet.

She wrapped my left arm around her shoulder while I leaned against her for support. We made our way into the healing hut, and I glanced around. Just like everything else, it was mostly made of ice with a few cots and supplies.

A middle-age woman walked over to us with a warm smile. "Princess Yue, what happened?"

"This is Tashi, one of the Avatar's friends." Yue set me down on one of the cots, and when she glanced at her gloves, she gasped. "She needs your attention right away."

I looked at her gloves and realized they were covered in my blood.

"Oh my." Rushing behind me, Yugoda peeled my hair aside, so she could see my back. "You've bled straight through your clothes, child. We'll have to remove these immediately."

"Is there anything I can do?" Yue said.

"You've done enough, Princess Yue. I can handle things here. Thank you." Yugoda undid my tunic and began helping me out of it.

She nodded and looked at me. "May the moon and ocean spirits grant you a quick recovery, Tashi. I'll see you later."

"Thank you, Princess Yue." I shivered as Yugoda finished removing my tunic, and I cringed when I heard her second gasp.

"My goodness. This is more serious than I thought." She moved me to sit upright. "Just hold still, child."

I did as she asked, and I closed my eyes as she bended water onto my back. It felt cool and soothing, but Yugoda had more finesse with her technique than Katara. As the freshest scars healed, my skin felt less numb, and I began to feel pain. A sharp pain. It traveled up my spine, and I screamed aloud as my mind returned to the many dark memories of my time on Zhao's ship.

_"You may as well give in. You're not escaping again, and the next time you see your friends, they'll be in chains. I'll make sure of that!" Zhao wrapped his hands around my neck. "First, I'll break the Avatar's hands and feet, and then starve him until he's skin and bones. Next, I'll roast that Water Tribe boy alive. As for the girl, she can rot in prison like the water-benders before her. Then again, she is young. Maybe I'll have her sold off."_

I screamed, and jerking away from Yugoda, I fell onto the floor. "Stop! I won't do it again! I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

I scooted back until I was against the side of the cot. My gaze was unfocused as I remained trapped inside of the memory.

Yugoda knelt beside me and brought a gentle hand to my face. "Calm yourself, child. It's alright. You're safe."

I trembled and started hyperventilating. However, Yugoda was patient, and she waited as long as it took for me to settle down before guiding me back onto the cot. I rested on my stomach, and I took deep breaths.

"It appears that your injuries are not just physical." She continued healing my back. "Tashi, was it? What happened?"

I closed my eyes. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Bottling up so much negative energy will only make things worse, and you're already neglecting your health. I can help, but you have to be willing to cooperate," she said.

I cringed as the sensitivity returned to my skin. "How can you help me?"

"The healing arts expand to the mental realm as well. I can make it easier for you to confront your trauma and move past it." She removed the water from my back. "I've done what I can. It seems some of your injuries are much older. The scars have become permanent."

"That's fine." I sat up. "I'm starting to feel better already. Thank you, Yugoda."

"Don't thank me yet, child. We still have a ways to go. But first, let me get you something to wear and eat." She left the main room.

I stretched a little, testing my newfound flexibility, before glancing at my soiled tunic. More memories flooded into my mind, and I put a hand to my head, my fingers digging into my hair.

_Maybe I should let Yugoda help me._ I sighed.

When she returned, I was placed into a blue tunic and parka. I huddled the fur trimming around my ears, enjoying the warmth.

She held out a bowl. "Here. Have some delicious tentacle soup."

_Tentacle soup?_ I stared at the contents in the bowl before taking it. "Uh, thank you. What's in it?"

"Squid and seaweed noodles. Just what you need to start building your strength up. You look positively gaunt," she said.

Taking the chopsticks, I took my first bite, and it actually tasted pretty good. It was then I realized just how hungry I was, and I began to gulp down the rest as politely as possible. When I was finished, Yugoda sat beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Now tell me, Tashi. How did you end up so badly wounded?" she said.

I set the bowl down. "Most of my scars are from four years ago when my village was attacked by the Fire Nation. The recent ones you healed are from when I was held prisoner."

Her eyes widened a little before she furrowed her brow. "I see."

"It's strange." I stared at the floor. "Everything feels like a huge blur, but when I try to sleep, the memories resurface, and I end up staying awake all night and day. I want to forget the whole thing ever happened, but I know I can't. There's important stuff I need to remember, but my brain feels so scattered."

Standing, Yugoda bended more water from the healing pool. She had me lay down on my back and brought the water up against both sides of my head. I relaxed at the cooling sensation. After a few moments, it felt like my mind was completely clear, and my thoughts became organized.

"Now tell me what ails you, Tashi. Who was the one that hurt you?" Yugoda said.

"It's a long story, but his name is Zhao, a Fire Nation Admiral. He captured me to serve as bait for the Avatar." I cringed. "And other reasons."

She narrowed her eyes. "What other reasons?"

"He…." A tear ran down my cheek. "He…."

"Shh. It's okay." Yugoda nodded. "Take your time."

"He tried to turn me into his personal slave, so I'd give him information, fight for him, and…." I closed my eyes. "When I rebelled, he beat me, and then he left me to bleed and starve in a cell."

"You poor dear," she said.

"But I had someone to look out for me. This other soldier named Natsumi." I smiled. "She tried her best to help me, and I don't think I would have survived without her."

"It sounds like this Natsumi was a good friend." She continued bending the water around my head.

"We weren't friends, not really. But I'll always be thankful for what she did for me." I sighed. "I just wish I could've said goodbye."

"Is there anything else?" she said.

There was, but I wasn't in the mood to discuss the incident further. Now that my thoughts we clear, I was starting to feel better.

"No." I shook my head.

She furrowed her brow. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine. I just need time to relax." I sat up. "Besides, I should get back to my friends."

Yugoda didn't look convinced, but she sighed and bended the water back into the pool. "Very well. If you continue to have trouble sleeping, please come see me. Until then, try to take easy, and make sure to eat. If I see you within a week and you still look as sickly, I'm going to drag you back here and feed you myself. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." I stood and stretched. "Thank you so much."

She smiled. "Anytime, dear."

My body felt rejuvenated with new energy that I swear wasn't there a moment ago. At this rate, I'd finally have the strength to start training again. With a smile, I waved to Yugoda before heading out of the healing hut. Now all I had to do was….

"Tashi, there you are!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Aang running toward me. "Perfect timing. I was just about to start looking for you guys."

He stopped in front of me and caught his breath. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better and incredibly jealous." I laughed. "Why do water-benders get to be the ones with special healing powers? My life would've been so much simpler if I could do that with air."

"Don't worry. Air-benders have plenty of tricks up our sleeves." He gestured for me to follow him. "Come on. Chief Arnook gave us a house on the west side of the city."

We walked side by side through the icy sidewalks. I glanced around, taking in the scenery. This place really was a spectacle to behold. Although, I couldn't imagine living here. The winter season was nice and all, but being trapped in this kind of environment year round would be torture.

"Tashi?" Aang said

I looked at him. "Hmm?"

He stopped walking and leaned against his staff. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "Trust me. I've bounced back from worse."

His eyes watered. "I'm sorry."

"What?" I said.

"I shouldn't have let Jeong Jeong stop me. I should've tried harder to find you." He sniffled. "You could've died."

"Aang…. There was no guarantee that you would've been able to help me. You know what happened the last time Zhao captured us. We were separated, and he would've won if it hadn't been for the prince." I glanced away with a sigh. "Besides, that whole situation back at Jeong Jeong's was my fault. Don't blame yourself."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I was walking along the river when I noticed some of Jeong Jeong's friends fleeing from a fire in another part of the forest. They told me Fire Nation soldiers had found us, so I went to investigate. I tried to fight Zhao and loss," I said.

"Why would you try to fight him on your own?" he said.

"To kill him of course." I folded my arms. "I was so close too. If I'd kept him in the river just a little bit longer…."

Aang gasped and stepped in front of me. "Seriously, Tashi? How can you be so willing to kill someone?"

"I told you before. I'm not against killing in the act of war," I said.

"Was it an act of war?" He narrowed his eyes. "Or did you just want revenge for what he did to you and your village?"

"Both." My tone was stern. "And why does it matter? Zhao's planning to lay siege to the Northern Water Tribe. If I had managed to stop him, he wouldn't be a threat right now."

"What he's doing isn't the point. What matters is what you're letting yourself turn into. Air Nomads are supposed to find all life precious, and all people deserve a right to humanity." He pointed his staff in my face. "You can't just go around killing people you don't like."

"Humanity?" I scoffed. "I'm not sure what you've seen in Zhao, but he's nothing but a monster. He told me about what the Fire Nation did to the Southern Tribe, and he plans to do the same here. Look around, Aang. What little humanity Zhao has left is not worth the lives of these innocent people."

"Two wrongs don't make a right. You stooped to his level, and he was able to take you away from us. What that really worth it?" he said.

I stared him down and responded with a firm, "Yes. Because in the Earth Kingdom, we proudly defend our country by any means and die for it with honor. Was my choice back at Jeong Jeong's risky? Yeah. Was it stupid? Probably. But it was a risk worth taking if it meant I could've eliminated a major enemy. And in the end, despite what I was put through, there was a silver lining. I found out about the siege and tons of valuable information that'll help us in the long run."

Brushing Aang's staff aside, I stepped around him.

"And more importantly, I've learned from my mistakes." I headed down the path. "I'll have to be smarter about my strategy once Zhao arrives, and then I can finally end this."

Aang followed me. "After everything that happened, you're still going after him? Tashi, you can't do this."

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "Why not? He needs to be taken down anyway, and I'll be the one to do it."

He groaned. "Fine. If you don't give up your pursuit of Zhao, then–"

I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Then what?"

He shifted his gaze from me to the ground while biting his lip. "Then I won't train you anymore. I'm not gonna to let you taint our sacred teachings for pointless violence."

"Okay." I shrugged.

"What?" Aang's wide eyes snapped back to me. "What do you mean, okay? You're willing to throw away learning about our culture for revenge?"

"So what? You're willing to not teach the only other air-bender in the world, for the sake of holding on to your petty traditions." I ran a hand through my hair. "However, I'm willing to respect that. You have a right to do things your way, and I have a right to do things my way."

"But…." he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "And hopefully you're mature enough to extend me the same courtesy? I'm not changing my mind on this, Aang."

He looked like he still wanted to argue, but he slumped his shoulders and nodded. "You're free to do what you want, but at least think about what I said. The Monks use to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper. As you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"Unfortunately the world isn't that simple, but I assure you that the only thing Zhao's death will bring me is peace." I started walking. "Now, come on. Katara and Sokka are waiting."

The walk to the guest house was silent and uncomfortable, and Aang refused to look at me. I had already warned him that this was going to be an issue between us, but he didn't seem to get it. Not every situation was black and white, nor was there always a neat and tidy solution for every problem.

We reached the guest house, and I followed Aang through the curtain that served as a door. Katara and Sokka were busy setting up our things. I walked over to Katara to help her with one of the sleeping bags.

She smiled. "Oh, Tashi. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Yugoda did a great job." I set the sleeping bag on the floor.

Aang slumped past us and leaned against the wall with a frown on his face.

"Aang, you okay?" Katara said.

He remained silent.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "We had a little disagreement on the way here, and he's still upset."

She furrowed her brow. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later. Hey, Sokka?" I walked over to him.

"What's up?" He threw some sticks into the fireplace.

"Do you have anything to write on and with?" I smiled. "Thanks to Yugoda, my mind is finally clear enough, and I have a surprise you'll love."

Katara pointed across the room. "Actually, I think I saw a bunch of parchment and brushes in drawer over there."

"Perfect." I made my way over.

The drawer was attached to a table made of ice with an animal-skin cloth covering it. I retrieved what I needed and got to work. Page after page, I sketched out the images that had been brought to the forefront of my mind with Yugoda's healing in excessive detail. I could feel the others staring over my shoulder with curiosity, but I tried my best to stay focused. I was on the last page when Sokka took one of the parchments that had finished drying.

His eyes widened. "No way. You know what the Fire Lord looks like!"

"What?" Aang rushed over to Sokka and looked at the picture. "Well, at least his portrait doesn't look terrifying."

"All fire-benders look normal until they try to burn you alive," Sokka said.

"I've got dirt on all of the royal family actually." I completed the last few sketches before setting the brush down. "And maps of the Fire Nation."

I picked up another page that had dried and held it up for everyone. "See. This one is of the Capital City."

"Wow." Katara glanced the map over. "It's such perfect detail. How did you…?"

"Hey, I wasn't second in command of the Freedom Fighters just because I was Jet's girlfriend. I have a picture perfect memory." I tapped the side of my head with a smirk.

Sokka started going through the maps. "But how did you get all of this information?"

"Uh…." I glanced away. "I came across a bunch of scrolls during one of my escape attempts on Zhao's ship. I read as much as I could until they found me."

"Then thank the spirits for your picture perfect memory. When the time is right, we can use these to make a plan to defeat the Fire Nation. They'll never know what hit them," he said.

"I knew you'd love this." I rolled up each parchment into a neat pile. "And there yours to keep safe guard of."

Sokka took the scrolls and started organizing them among his belongings. Katara and Aang went to another part of the room to talk, and I sighed. The three of them would never know the humiliation I had to go through to acquire most of this information. Yugoda had been right. I didn't tell her everything, and I didn't think I could tell anyone any time soon. However, I hoped I'd be able to sleep without Zhao's disgusting image haunting my nightmares for once.

When I was sure everyone wasn't looking, I tucked one extra scroll away for myself. Why? Well, because it had nothing to do with the Fire Nation, or so I suspected. It depicted the vast Earth Kingdom desert with one small image labelled: _Secret Spirit Library_. Why Zhao had a scroll like that I didn't know. A library for spirits? Was that possible? The Spirit World wasn't easy to get into. Aang barely knew how, and he was the Avatar. It was possible that it was only some rumor, but it peaked my interest enough to remember.

I bit my lip and stared at the icy wall in front of me. There had also been another scroll, but I never had a chance to read it. All I saw, in the split second I came across it, was the image of two fish. Without any context, I wrote it off as unimportant. I mean, I had been on a ship in the middle of the ocean after all. Why would there be anything significant about a couple of fish?


	19. Heart To Heart

 “I’m just a girl.  
  
Oh, I’ve had it up to here!”  
  
-No Doubt 

* * *

 That night we attended the huge feast at the palace, and we were seated with Chief Arnook and the other officials. Aang was seated next to the chief with Momo in his lap, then me, Katara, and lastly, Sokka was on the far end. Appa was further down on the grand hall floor where he was given a giant platter of vegetables to eat. As I observed the other citizens around the hall, I couldn't help but notice how out of place I looked. Sure, I was draped in traditional Water Tribe clothing, but this culture was incredibly foreign to me.

Maybe it was because the Earth Kingdom was so much larger and variant? Every region had its own subculture to the point that neighboring villages were nothing alike. However, everyone in the Water Tribe seemed to be on the same page. Even Katara and Sokka, who technically lived on the other side of the world were right at home. I looked down at my plate which was filled with an assortment of sea creatures and vegetables, and my stomach gnawed at me with anticipation.

Katara looked at me, her brow furrowed. "You are going to eat this time, aren't you?"

I smiled. "Don't worry. Yugoda ordered me to eat; otherwise, she'd drag me back to the healing huts and force feed me herself."

"Good." She nodded. "You're going to make yourself sick if you keep going too long without food."

"Whatever you say, _Mom_." I folded my arms and chuckled.

Katara's eyes widened a little, and her nose scrunched at my statement. I guess she wasn't aware of her own behavior. While Aang and Sokka had been worried about me, Katara fussed over me like a mother would, and after more observation, she seemed to do the same with the boys, especially Aang.

Arnook stood and addressed everyone in the hall. "Now, I'm sure all of you have heard the rumors, and I am here to tell you that they are true. The Fire Nation is planning a siege against us."

Gasps and whispers erupted amongst the citizens and officials.

"Tomorrow we will begin our preparations, but tonight, we shall celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe and honored guest from the Earth Kingdom. For they have brought with them someone very special, whom many of us thought had disappeared from the world until now." Arnook gestured to Aang. "The Avatar."

Everyone applauded, and Aang stood.

"Thank you." He bowed. "I promise to do everything I can to protect the Northern Water Tribe."

"We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday." Arnook gestured behind him. "Princess Yue is now of marrying age."

Yue, along with who I assumed was her mother and grandmother, stepped forward.

"Thank you, Father." Yue nodded to Arnook before looking out to the crowd. "May the moon and ocean spirits watch over us during these troubled times."

Arnook gestured to the other side of the hall. "And now Master Pakku and his students will perform."

An elder man began demonstrating various water-bending techniques with the young, male students behind him. Aang and Katara's faces lit up with huge smiles as they watched in total awe.

"Oh, Tashi." Yue stopped next to me. "It's good to see you again. I hope you're doing much better."

I glanced up at her. "Excellent, actually. Thanks for your help, and happy birthday."

"Of course." She smiled. "Thank you so much."

Yue sat next to Sokka, who proceeded to flirt with her.

"How do you know Yue?" Katara said.

"We bumped into each other on my way to Yugoda's," I said.

Feeling my stomach gnaw at me again, I looked at my plate and decided to try whatever this spotted, squishy creature was. It could've easily been mistaken for a mushroom, but it tasted fishy with a jelly texture. It was also very tart like it had been pickled.

Aang watched me with a frown. "So you gave up being a vegetarian too?"

"I need to get my strength back up." I took a sip of water. "Besides, I'm glad to know that your concern for animals is more important than the fact that I was starved multiple times and have spent the past couple of days without much of an appetite."

Aang stared at me with wide eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. I just…."

Katara looked at me. "Starved?"

I tightened my jaw and stared at my plate. "Doesn't matter anymore."

She placed a gentle hand on my arm. "Tashi, what exactly happened when you were captured? You still haven't spoken a word about it."

I shrugged her hand off. "I already said that it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Katara watched me, but after a few minutes, she sighed and returned her attention to Sokka. Aang was also staring at me, and I could tell he was feeling guilty again. I just continued to eat in silence.

….

The morning sun peaked over the horizon, and the four of us rose to the start the day. Sokka was the first out of our guest house. He had been enchanted by Princess Yue, and after choking during the feast last night, he was determined for another chance to ask her out. Aang and Katara were next, and they rushed off with excitement to train with Master Pakku.

With nothing to be late for and no love interests to catch, I, on the other hand, took my time getting ready. I put on the thin tunic of my new Water Tribe attire and left the thick parka behind. Tying my hair back into a simple, low ponytail, I stepped outside. The sun was a bit higher in the sky and made the frozen citadel shimmer like gems.

I stretched my arms over my head. Despite the looming threat of the siege, it was nice to finally not have to worry about traveling or running away soldiers. I made my way to the outskirts of the city where there'd be plenty of space for me to practice. Sitting down, I began meditating and tried to focus on clearing my mind. With each breath, I regulated my body temperature enough that the freezing ground no longer bothered me, but my thoughts continued to be scattered.

_Maybe I'm still holding onto negative energy like Yugoda said?_ I sighed and opened my eyes. _Well, there's one way to get rid of it._

I hadn't been in a proper fight since my failed assassination attempt with Zhao, and now that I was secured behind the northern gates, I wasn't going to see a battle any time soon. Balling my hands into fists, I targeted the icy wall in front of me. I thought of Zhao and all of the torture I'd endured on his ship. My anger and frustration bubbled inside of my stomach, and I unleashed the energy out through my fists.

However, as I did, I noticed something different. Normally, I created a powerful stream of air that was enough to knock an opponent back. Now, the air felt much more compressed, and it burst from my fists in the form of tight orbs. The orbs of air struck the wall, creating two dents within the compacted ice. I shifted my gaze between my fists and the wall before dropping my hands to my sides.

"That's new." I furrowed my brow.

What had caused that change? Mulling over my previous actions, I noted that I hadn't done anything different. I returned to my form and air-punched at the wall again. Just like before, two orbs of compressed air sprung from my fists and created two more dents in the wall.

"Hey, that's not the Avatar."

The whispered words of a teen boy caught my ears, but I didn't recognize the voice.

"Even more perfect. It's that air-bending girl from yesterday. Time for some payback."

The second whispered voice I did recognize.

_Hahn._ Narrowing my eyes, I kept my back to them while doing a few stretching exercises.

"You're kidding, right? We're gonna be late for training. Besides, we can't fight a girl," the other boy said.

"We can if she doesn't act like one. She actually had the nerve to call herself a _real_ warrior and thinks she's better than me. Come on. Let's show this little girl what happens when you play with the big boys," Hahn said.

_Oh please._ I rolled my eyes.

I listened to Hahn's footsteps as he increased his pace into a run. Once he was close enough, I spun to right and tripped him with my foot. He landed face first in the snow, but before I could gloat, I heard his friend let out a battle cry and charge at me. I took a firm stance, and taking a deep breath, I thrust my open hands forward. A gust of wind pushed the boy back until he fell into the canal several feet away. An arm wrapped around my waist while a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was pulled backwards against Hahn.

"You think you're so smart, don't you, Outsider?" Hahn hissed in my right ear.

I kicked my right leg straight up, and my foot collided with his nose. With a loud yelp, he released me. I turned and saw him on his knees, his hand clutching his bleeding face.

"Ugh, not again, you little…!" Hahn continued to shout obscenities and ran off.

I sent a glare to his friend, who had just climbed out of the canal, and he cringed before running after Hahn.

"Boys." I shook my head and continued practicing.

….

"Ugh! Can you believe this, Tashi? This is so unfair!"

I watched Katara rant from my cozy spot inside of the bathing springs. She ripped each article of her clothing off of herself without much care for where it landed on the floor.

"Well, it definitely explains a lot on my end. I thought the guys I was dealing with were just jerks." I leaned against the edge of the pool with my arms crossed over the compacted snow. "Turns out this whole place is completely stupid."

This was the first time I had heard of a nation outright banning their women from bending. Aang's only gripe with me was how I chose to use air-bending, the Fire Nation was more than happy to have more hands to burn down their enemies, and while women didn't join the Earth Kingdom military, they weren't forbidden from mastering their element either.

"I traveled across the whole world, and for what…?" She entered the springs. "And it's not like I have the option to learn water-bending somewhere else. I guess I'll have to stick with _healing_."

"Hey, don't knock the healing thing. Who wouldn't want that ability? I'd be all like, 'Ah! My arm!', and then whoosh!" I swiped some water over my left arm. "Now I'm fine."

"It might be useful, but it's not why I came here." She groaned. "And the Fire Nation could be here any day. I need to be prepared."

"Don't worry, Katara. We'll figure it out. I'm sure Pakku and the rest of these sexist idiots won't care what you do when they're too busy eating fireballs for breakfast," I said.

"I suppose." Katara raised an eyebrow. "And since we're on the subject, Aang told me about your disagreement yesterday. Why would you sacrifice your training like that? You know how much this means to Aang, and you need to learn how to master air-bending."

I sighed. "I'm not sacrificing anything. If Aang doesn't want to train me because he doesn't agree with my way of doing things, that's his right. As for mastering air-bending, I'll find my own way."

"How? You two are the only air-benders left. You have to learn from him." She frowned. "I know you want revenge on Zhao, but–"

"Look. I'm not normally a vengeful person. When Zhao tried to kill me four years ago, all I did was lick my wounds and try to move on with my life. I never bothered to find out who he was or where he was." I turned away. "Then I joined you guys, and now it's like my past has come back to haunt me. Only it's worse."

"That doesn't mean you need to go through with this," she said.

"Katara, that monster killed what was left of my family, destroyed my home, and I would've been dead if it hadn't been for Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot finding me." I treaded away into another side of the springs. "Anyway, it's more than that now. What Zhao's planning to do to the Northern Water Tribe, what he'd do if he ever got his hands on you, Aang, and Sokka, what he did to me while I was trapped on his ship…."

Tears swelled in my eyes, and I felt my anger churn in my stomach at the memories. Katara touched my shoulder, but I didn't turn to look at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she said.

"No. It's okay." I wiped my eyes. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Tashi, you've been a rock since Aang brought you back, and even with Yugoda's help, you're still acting like nothing's wrong. I know you think that because you're the oldest that means you have to be the toughest and most mature out of all of us, but you're a part of our group. A part of our family. Your well being matters too." She swam around me, so that we were meeting face to face. "Please. We can help you get through this if you just open up."

"I appreciate your concern, Katara. Really I do." I turned away from her again. "But I'm tough because I've had no other choice but to be. That's been my whole life. And considering I'm turning seventeen in a week, I _am_ the most mature. Which is why I can't tell you. You're only fourteen, and there are some things in this world that you don't need to know about, especially if I have any say in it. Cherish your innocence while you still have it."

Katara's silence indicated that I clearly underestimated her. When I turned to meet her gaze, her eyes and mouth were agape in sheer horror. Within a few seconds, she was embracing me with tears running down her face. Neither of us spoke a word. We didn't have to. We just remained there for what seemed like forever in a strange, almost telepathic understanding of each other.

Finally, after it seemed like the water was doing more harm than good to our skin, Katara said, "Are you… you know… in need of help? Did Yugoda check?"

I shook my head. "It never went that far. Can't exactly use me as a weapon if I'm put in a delicate condition. But as I already learned with Jet, there are plenty of ways to get around that."

"A weapon?" She furrowed her brow.

I pulled away from her with a snort. "Turns out our enemies aren't as sexist as our allies. Zhao was impressed by my attempt to kill him and struck a deal with me. I become his willing slave and get to live in the Fire Nation's _perfect world_. In exchange, I'd have to betray all of you and help him capture Aang. When I refused, he forced me into it."

"I'm so sorry, Tashi. I could never imagine. That's just so…." Katara put a hand to her chest and slowly gripped it into a tight fist while glaring at the water. "Do what you need to do."

"What?" I blinked.

"You have every right to face Zhao. Kill him if that's what you need. Do it." Her eyes were filled with anger and determination, although I wasn't sure if it was for me. "If I ever came across the monster that took my mother away from me…. Aang'll have to get over it."

"Maybe you can try talking to him? We were at a stale mate yesterday, and honestly, I'm not really that good with sensitivity," I said.

She nodded. "I will. You need to be trained. There's no other option."

"Thanks, Katara." I glanced up at the ceiling. "And how did you know what I was talking about anyway?"

"After my mother died, I had to take on a lot more responsibilities. This included helping my Gran Gran with delivering babies, so I have basic understanding of what happens before." She raised an eyebrow. "So you and Jet? You actually–?"

I smirked. "We were two teenagers living in a tree house without adult supervision. Of course we did."

Katara's cheeks turned pink, and she glanced at me with bashful eyes while twiddling her thumbs. "So… what is it really like? You know, beyond the basics and without all the bad stuff?"

"Okay, _that_ I'm definitely not telling you," I said.

She pouted. "Please. I can handle it."

"No way." I folded my arms and turned up my nose. "You already know enough for your age."

"Aw, come on," she said.

"Alright. I'll make a deal with you. If you get into a relationship and are in need of advice, I'll tell you everything I know. Until then, these lips–" I made a motion like I was locking my mouth shut. "Are sealed."

"Fine." She climbed out of the springs. "We should turn in. It's getting dark, and we're starting to look like sea prunes."

"My skin's already scarred. What's a few wrinkles gonna do?" With a laugh, I followed her.


	20. Change Is Chaos In Disguise

 “Why must we fight?  
  
Why must we kill in the name of what we think is right?”  
  
-P.O.D.

* * *

 "What do you want me to do? Force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?"

Arnook looked down at Katara with a steel gaze that indicated that he was sympathetic to the situation, and I mentally groaned. The Fire Nation could breach the North Pole at any moment, and Pakku was daring not to train Aang because of Katara. This was so ridiculous it made my blood boil. However, it wasn't my place to speak out. Putting Hahn and the other stupid boys who challenged me in their place was one thing, but confronting the royalty of another nation on a long standing tradition when I was an outsider was asking for trouble.

Even Katara was at a disadvantage, and I watched her sigh and slowly nod. "Yes. Please."

Arnook shifted his gaze from her to Pakku and back. "I suspect he might change his mind _if_ you swallow your pride and apologize to him."

She looked back at Aang with a furrowed brow. His training was the most important out of all of us, and there weren't any other options.

"Fine." Katara's tone was reluctant, her eyes slightly narrowing at Arnook and Pakku.

I felt my lip curl with disgust at the smug grin that formed on the old master's face.

"I'm waiting, _little girl_ ," Pakku said.

What I wouldn't give to wipe that grin right off his face, and it seemed Katara felt the same. I had witnessed glimpses of her bending ability, but it wasn't until now that I realized how much potential she truly had. She screamed at Pakku, Arnook, Yue, and the rest of the councilmen, rage filling her voice, and with each rising octave of her tone, the throne room reacted. Massive cracks split through the floor, pots shattered, splashing their contents everywhere, and the whole hall shook with fury.

Aang glanced around with wide eyes. "Uh, Katara?"

She stared up at Pakku. "I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me!"

Yue, Arnook, and the other councilmen gasped at her declaration while Pakku looked unmoved. Without another word, Katara stormed outside, and I decided to quickly follow. She stood at the top of the massive staircase, her body shaking.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Katara?"

She flexed her hands into fists. "No, I'm not! Who does that old man think he is!"

Sokka and Aang came running after us.

"Are you crazy, Katara?" Sokka stopped beside her. "You're not gonna win this fight."

She pulled off her parka and tossed it into her brother's arms. "I know! I don't care!"

Katara rushed down the stairs, and we followed.

"You don't have to do this for me." Aang ran up beside her. "I can find another teacher."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing it for you. Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy."

We reached the bottom of the stairs and waited. Pakku came trotting down not to long after, and he walked past us without so much as a glance.

Katara stepped forward. "So, you decided to show up?"

"Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong," Pakku said while keeping his back to us.

Katara's anger filled her eyes, and she whipped Pakku across the back of his head with a stream of water. That seemed to get his attention, for he turned around with a glare.

"Fine! You want to fight so bad?" He raised his hands into a starting form. "Study closely!"

A fight broke out, drawing the attention of Arnook, Yue, Yugoda, and other citizens that were close by. Katara had no chance of beating a master, but she was holding her own better than most would've expected. A heavy dose of adrenaline and anger always provided the perfect power boost.

Aang glanced at Sokka and me. "Do you guys really think Pakku will change his mind?"

Sokka was about to answer, but he was pummeled by a stray stream of water from the fight. After realizing he had only been slightly stunned, I looked at Aang.

"Shouldn't you already know the answer to that?" I said.

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Katara is Water Tribe, so she can do whatever she wants. However–" I folded my arms. "I find it a little hypocritical that you think Air Nomad traditions should be respected no matter what, but you have no problem disrespecting someone else's."

"But this is different," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

My attention returned to the fight as gasps erupted around us. Katara had been trapped under a dozen icicles, and Pakku's precision was so perfect that she hadn't been harmed. Her hair had come undone, and she glared at him while struggling against the ice trapping her.

"This fight is over." Pakku turned to walk away.

"Come back here!" Katara continued to struggle. "I'm not finished yet!"

"Yes, you are." His face remained calm, but there was a small trace of a smug grin. "I admit you have some skill, but you are still a girl. I have no interest in training you or the Avatar. You can accept this or leave."

"That does it," I mumbled through gritted teeth and stomped out into the open field. "You really have some nerve, you arrogant jerk!"

Pakku glanced me up and down with a sneer. "What's this? Another little girl who think she has the right to fight?"

_Oh yeah. I'm not wearing my nation's colors._ To answer his question, I took a deep breath and punched at the tall, icy wall that bordered the field.

Just like before, a tight, compressed ball of air struck the wall and created a huge dent. Gasps erupted behind me. Pakku shifted his gaze from me to the damage I made before his eyes slightly widened. He glanced me over a second time, his stern expression weakening with realization.

"You…." he said.

"I don't need _your_ permission to fight." I clenched my fists at my sides. "And how dare you refuse to train my friends! The only reason we came here is because the Fire Nation completely wiped out the water-benders of the Southern Tribe! Katara's the last one!"

Pakku gave a small shrug, his face returning to its usual calm and slightly stern expression. "While that is unfortunate, this isn't the Southern Tribe. We have customs and rules that deserve to be preserved and adhered to."

"And what about Aang? He's the Avatar. The Fire Nation will be at your gates any day now, and you're willing to put your whole tribe in danger for some stupid, sexist crap!" I said.

Narrowing his eyes, he approached me. "Then the Avatar should've obeyed my rules. I'm not going to be pushed around by bunch of ignorant children, especially an outsider like you."

I stood my ground. "Then maybe we _will_ leave!"

"What?" Feeling a gust of air, I noticed Aang had sped over to stand beside me. "No, we won't leave. Tashi didn't mean that."

"Yes, I did. If Pakku refuses to teach you, then there's no point in us being here." I looked away from Aang to meet Pakku's gaze. "And when the Fire Nation comes knocking with their hundreds of ships, when the Avatar is long gone, when your people are lying dead in the snow, when you and the other water-benders, _including_ the women, are rotting away in prison, when Chief Arnook has been dethroned and killed, and when Princess Yue has been stolen to serve as a concubine for the Fire Lord, hey, at least you can pat yourself on the back for not teaching an icky, little girl how to fight."

Once again, gasps erupted amongst the crowd at my audacity, but I didn't care. It was the truth, and I was never one for subtly. The distasteful frown melted from Pakku's face, and he quirked his eyebrow with what seemed to be amusement.

"It appears you've inherited Kalsang's abrasiveness. He was never one to mince words either," he said.

Aang cocked his head to the side with a questionable hum while I blinked. Whatever rebuttal I had prepared was robbed from my lips, and I tried process what transpired. No way. It couldn't be, but it was the only explanation if he knew my grandfather. This grouchy jerk was a member of the White Lotus?

Noting my stunned silence, Pakku smiled. "However, you make a fair point. If your friends care so much about the tribe's well being, then they will apologize."

With a simple glance at Katara, the icicles imprisoning her melted.

His mouth drooped into a frown, and his eyes narrowed. "Starting with _her_."

"Why should I?" Katara picked up her necklace while she strode over to us. "There's no reason why women can't learn, especially with a war going on. And as Tashi said, we didn't come here for a vacation. We're on a mission to defeat the Fire Nation, and I need to be able to fight."

Pakku was silent, and when I turned my gaze towards him, I saw that he was completely stunned. His eyes were fixated on Katara's necklace as she fastened it back on.

"Where did you get that?" he said.

Realizing he was addressing her, Katara raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"

"That necklace." He pointed at her neck. "Where did you get my necklace?"

She stepped back. "This isn't yours. My Gran-Gran passed it down from my mother to me."

His calm expression started to fall apart, and desperation filled his voice. "What was your grandmother's name?"

"Kanna," she said.

Blinking a few times, Pakku glanced her over, and his whole demeanor changed. His brow furrowed, and his eyes softened with what I interpreted as sorrow.

"How did I not see it before? You look just like her," he muttered more to himself while he shook his head. "I made that necklace for your grandmother sixty years ago. She was the love of my life."

Her eyes widened. "My Gran-Gran was supposed to marry you?"

He nodded. "I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her, but then she left without word. No one knew where she went."

"She left because she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage." She folded her arms. "Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. It must've taken a lot of courage."

Pakku mulled over Katara's words. "Your grandmother… is she well, or…?"

She smiled. "Gran-gran's alive and well. She's watching over the other women and children in the Southern Tribe."

"I see." He still seemed to be deep in thought, and it was a few minutes before he addressed us again. "Then I will agree to teach you."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"What?" Aang's jaw dropped.

Katara's smile grew from ear to ear. "Really? You mean it?"

He nodded. "I'll see you and the Avatar at sunrise."

Pakku turned and continued down the path that lead to the rest of the citadel.

"Oh, thank you, Master Pakku." Katara waved. "I promise I won't let you down!"

I placed my hands on my hips and raised an eyebrow. "So a win through nepotism. Who'd have thought?"

Aang furrowed his brow. "Nepotism?"

"Who cares how it happened?" Katara did a small jump and giggled. "I finally have a chance to master water-bending! Yes!"

….

That night, Katara, Aang, and I had retired to the guest house. Aang was playing with Momo, and Katara was absolutely giddy and rambled on about all of the things she was going to learn. I had enveloped myself in preparing dinner. Despite having more ingredients and cookware at hand, it was proving to be a more daunting task than I expected. I just wasn't familiar with Water Tribe cuisine and tried to make due with two pots of soup. One was filled with seaweed noodles and fish that I had crisped over the fire while the other was plain noodles.

Katara wandered over and smelled the steam rising from the first pot. "How's it coming along?"

"Good. I hope." I dipped the spoon and held out a bit of soup for her to taste. "What do you think? I used some of the herbs we had left over, but I'm still not sure."

She tasted it and smacked her lips. "Not bad for your first try."

I took out another spoon. "Here, Aang. You can try the other one."

He walked over and tasted the spoon. "Hmm. At least it's not sea prunes. Although, I wish we had some tofu or dumplings to go with it."

Sokka pushed his way through the thick curtains that served at the door to the house. A crestfallen look drenched his face, and he kicked his sleeping bag with a huff.

Katara looked at him. "Let me guess. Princess Yue?"

He groaned. "Turns out the reason she ditched me last night is because Chief Arnook arranged her engagement with someone else. This is so unfair. She likes me, and we can't even go out on one date together."

"Well, what did you expect, Sokka?" I continued stirring one of the pots. "Yue's a princess, and royalty and nobility have to follow certain duties. You can't just go running off with them for some fleeting love affair."

"But arranged?" Katara moved to sit down on her sleeping bag. "I mean, it's just so wrong. How can they justify marrying people to someone they barely know? That they might not even love?"

"Hey, your grandmother was a special case. It's way more common than you think." I set the lids back on both pots, so they could simmer. "That was actually gonna be my fate until everything went down in flames."

"Really?" Aang said.

"Yeah. I can still hear my grandmother now." With a small laugh, I did my best to mimic her voice. "Tashi, you're so pretty. You'll be the most beautiful girl in the village, and all the boys'll gladly go to war for you. When you turn sixteen, we'll take you to Ba Sing Se. You'll marry a rich noble and have many air-bender babies. At least ten or twenty."

Katara furrowed her brow. "And you were fine with that?"

"Of course. Before Aang returned, I was the only air-bender left. I simply accepted it as my responsibility," I said.

She glanced away and bit her lip. "Do you regret not being married now?"

"What's to regret? Things changed. Some for the better and some for the worst." I shrugged. "I tried to fulfill my grandparents' wishes with Jet, but at this point, I'm not gonna worry about it until after we defeat the Fire Nation."

Katara patted her brother on the shoulder. "Maybe you can just be friends with Yue."

"Yeah. But I was hoping…." Sokka sighed. "Never mind."

Aang walked over to the doorway. "Hey, Tashi, can I speak with you alone?"

I stood. "Sure. Katara, could you watch the food? It should be almost done."

"No problem." Katara took my spot next to the pots.

I followed Aang outside and shivered a little from the abrupt change in temperature. He stopped once we were a good distance from the guest house.

I folded my arms. "What's up, Aang?"

"Katara and I had a talk, and I've been rethinking about training you," he said.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "And what changed your mind?"

"I don't agree with what you plan to do, but I also realized that you're choosing this path because it's all you've ever known. You think that the only solution to your problem with Zhao is through revenge and violence, and that's just not true." He smiled. "You need to be shown that there can be another way, and you won't learn that if I abandon you."

"Fair enough," I said.

I had no interest in being deterred from my intentions. However, learning all that I could from Aang would be beneficial. It was quite the dilemma.

I frowned. "And what if I don't change my ways after everything you've taught me?"

His smile faltered a little, but he shook his head, his eyes shining with confidence, or perhaps over-confidence. "You will. As my friend, Bumi, says, 'You just have to keep your mind open to the possibilities.'"

I nodded and bowed. "Very well. I'll take you up on this challenge, Master Aang."

His smile brightened, and with a laugh, he bowed back. "I won't let you down, my new pupil."

I looked up to the night sky. It was clear, giving an amazing view of all of the stars, and the moon was still a small crescent. I grimaced, my thoughts wandering back to Zhao.

_"It'll be such a shame. Your skin looks its most radiant under the moonlight."_

Anger filled my stomach, and I tried my best to quell it. Once again, I knew that training under Aang would be difficult, but I also couldn't blame him now. He couldn't help but be naive at his age.

Aang walked over to me with a furrowed brow. "Are you okay?"

For the first time, I decided to be honest. "No, I'm not."

"Come on, let's go back inside." Aang took me by the hand and led me back to the guest house. "Always remember that forgiveness is an option."


End file.
